France now has more than 67.7 million inhabitants

The number of inhabitants in France continues to grow. According to data from the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (Insee) as of January 1, 2022 and published this Thursday, December 19, France (excluding Mayotte) now has 67.761 million inhabitants. They are distributed in one of the 34,918 French municipalities.

This is a further increase compared to the latest available data, although the rate of increase is decreasing. Between 2011 and 2016, the French population gained 0.44% of inhabitants each year, underlines INSEE, or around 286,000 people. Since 2016, this annual increase is only 0.35%, or 233,000 people. “This slowdown is due to a lower contribution from the natural balance, which decreases from +0.37% to +0.18% per year”writes the Institute.

Details by region

In detail, most metropolitan regions continue to gain residents. In particular the Corsewhere some 351,276 people resided on January 1, 2022, an increase of 1.02% per year since 2016. Then follow the Loire region (3.87 million inhabitants, +0.62%), the Brittany (3.42 million, +0.58%), theAuvergne-Rhône-Alpes (8.16 million, +0.51%), the New Aquitaine (6.11 million, +0.49%) or even the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (5.17 million, +0.49%). The most populated region of the country,Île-de-France also sees its balance increase (12.38 million, +0.36%).

In France, only two regions are losing inhabitants. THE Hauts-de-Francefirstly, fell below the six million inhabitants mark (5.99 million, -0.02% per year), but above all the Burgundy-Franche-Comté (2.8 million, -0.09%). This trend is even more visible in Overseas Territories: the Martinique (361,019, -0.7%) and the Guadeloupe (383,569, -0.45%) continue to lose residents, after having already experienced a negative balance during the previous census.

Details by city

The greatest population growth is observed in towns with more than 100,000 inhabitants. Montpellier, Villeurbanne, Toulouse et Toulon are the municipalities in which the number of inhabitants increased the most between 2016 and 2022. “The first three derive their growth both from the natural balance”, either the number of births in relation to the number of deaths, “and the apparent migratory balance”or the number of arrivals compared to the number of departures, analyzes INSEE. “Toulon essentially benefits from a contribution of external population.”

The ten largest cities in France have all seen an increase in their population… except one. And not the least, since it is about Paris. Each year, the capital loses on average 0.59% of its inhabitants, again according to INSEE. As of January 1, 2022, 2,113,705 people lived in Paris, the only municipality in France to have more than a million residents. Next Marseille (877,215 inhabitants, +0.29% per year) and Lyon (520,774, +0.16%), even if its status as the third largest city in the country is threatened by Toulouse (511.684 habitants, +1,23%).

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In addition, and unsurprisingly, urban areas are experiencing population growth much higher than rural areas. “Within urban areas, the population grows at the rate of 0.42% on average per year, whatever its density”continues INSEE. “In rural areas, the situation is different depending on whether the municipality is considered peri-urban or not. In the first case, the population increases thanks to an excess of arrivals over departures. In the second case, the natural balance becomes negative and is not completely offset by the apparent migratory balance, even if it remains in surplus.”