Population growth in Ain is tending to slow down but is holding up in areas close to Lyon and Geneva. However, in Franceit appears in eleventh position among the departments with Haute-Savoie which records the greatest increase in the number of inhabitants. Supporting figures, Ain won 32,864 new inhabitants between 2016 and 2022.
Since last year alone, the department has recorded 8,087 additional inhabitants. At 1is January 2022, 671,289 inhabitants are settled in Ainaccording to figures published by INSEE, the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. The reference population is valid for the year 2025.
Bourg-en-Bresse remains the town of Ain with the largest number of inhabitants
WithinAuvergne-Rhône-AlpesAin ranks fifth place among the most dynamic departmentsjust after the Rhône, Isère, Haute-Savoie and the Loire. Between 2016 and 2022, Ain gained an average of 5,477 inhabitants each year, an increase of 0.8%. This is driven by the increase in net migration (0.6%) rather than the natural balance (0.3%).
In summary, births are decreasingbut the people who choose to settle in the department are more numerous than those who decide to leave it.
The top 5 most populated towns in Ain in 1is January 2022
- Bourg-en-Bresse: 42,065 inhabitants, 0.3% growth between 2016 and 2022. A rate, however, lower than during the last reference period (0.7%) between 2011 and 20216;
- Oyonnax: 22,378 inhabitants. The demographics of the city, located between Bourg-en-Bresse and Geneva, are however tending to slow down: the average annual growth rate between 2016 and 2022 is negative (-0.1%);
- Valserhône: 16,162 inhabitants. Just like Oyonnax, its demographics are decreasing (- 0.1%) while it was positive (0.6%) between 2011 and 2016;
- Ambérieu-en-Bugey: 15,554 inhabitants. The municipality displays an average annual growth rate of 1.7% between 2016 and 2022 (compared to 0.3 between 2011 and 2016);
- Saint-Genis-Pouilly: 14,584 inhabitants.
Population: the towns of Ain near Geneva are clear winners
Chevry, Ségny, Saint-Genis-Pouilly, Ferney-Voltaire, Saint-Jean-de-Gonville. These five cities have one thing in common: their number of inhabitants is growing stronglyand they are all located near Geneva.
With an average annual growth rate of 5.8% between 2016 and 2022, Chevry now peaks at 2,301 inhabitants. It is with Ségny (2,676 inhabitants, 4.8% growth), the city whose the population has grown the most in six years.
While retaining its place in the top 5 most populated municipalities in Ain, Saint-Genis-Pouilly (14,584 inhabitants; 3.5% growth) also benefits from the attractiveness of the Swiss city.
Saint-Rambert-en-Bugey loses inhabitants
Five municipalities recorded a sharp decline in the number of inhabitants. This is the case for Saint-Rambert-en-Bugey2,179 inhabitants, which ranks first with an average annual growth rate of – 1% between 2016 and 2022.
Pont-de-Vaux (-0.8%) follows it with 2,184 inhabitants. With 2,494 inhabitants, Val-Revermont ranks third, followed by Culoz-Béon (3,416 inhabitants) and Foissiat (2,024 inhabitants).
