the essential
During a press conference, INSEE Occitanie presented the evolution of the population in the region between 2016 and 2022. The opportunity to draw up a largely positive assessment and to evoke a future where the number of inhabitants should continue to increase.
The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (Insee) of Occitanie organized, this Thursday, December 19, a press conference to present the evolution of the population in the region between 2016 and 2022. Fourth region in number of inhabitants, Occitanie could climb onto the podium in a few years, just like Toulouse, which will overtake Lyon in the very near future. Here’s what you need to remember.
Occitanie soon on the podium of the most populated regions
Like its star athletes – Antoine Dupont and Léon Marchand in the lead – Occitanie wins! Not medals, but inhabitants, at a pace that has no equivalent in France. The 1is January 2022, the region had 6,080,731 inhabitants. Growth of 0.8% per year over the last 5 years, described as “sustained” when it is “only” 0.3% on the national territory. In total, nearly 45,000 people arrive in our region each year.
Half is absorbed by the Toulouse and Montpellier towns alone. “In a few years, Occitanie will become the 3e French region and surpass New Aquitaine”, assures Caroline Jamet, of INSEE. Another interesting figure, according to the Institute’s studies, Occitanie would gain, by 2070, 824,000 inhabitants.
National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (Insee).
Toulouse is still increasing…
Au 1is January 2022, Toulouse records 511,684 inhabitants, around 7,000 more than in 2021. An increase of 1.2% per year between 2016 and 2022 which brings the Haute-Garonne prefecture closer to the podium. INSEE reports that “the population is declining in Paris and growing slowly in Marseille and Lyon but is still increasing strongly in Toulouse”.
For comparison, 520,774 people lived in Lyon in 2022. Over the period analyzed, Toulouse gained 36,246 inhabitants while this figure is barely 6,000 in Lyon. “If trends continue, Toulouse will quickly become the 3e most populous city in France and perhaps already is in view of these recent developments”, explains Caroline Jammet. Concretely, the Pink City could already have overtaken Lyon at the time of writing these lines.
…and Montpellier even faster
Here is one which is progressing even more than the Occitan capital of Toulouse. The city of Montpellier is experiencing stronger growth (+ 1.5% per year) and this accelerated between 2016 and 2022 since this growth was 1.3% between 2011 and 2016. The prefecture of Hérault is 7e French city in terms of inhabitants (307,101) and benefits, like Toulouse, from “largely positive natural (births minus deaths) and migratory (arrivals minus departures) balances”, specifies INSEE.
Haute-Garonne, 1is metropolitan department in terms of growth
In terms of demographic growth, Haute-Garonne is the department with the highest rate of change (+ 1.3%) in Metropolitan France over the period analyzed by INSEE. Followed very closely by… Hérault, again a department of Occitanie. With the arrival of 18,000 new inhabitants each year, there will be 1,456,261 people living in 31 in 2022. “It is the only department of Occitanie, with Hérault, which gains inhabitants in the balance game natural”, adds Caroline Jamet, who evokes “very dynamic” growth.
National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (Insee).
And in other departments?
Between 2016 and 2022, no department of Occitanie lost inhabitants. “Either the population stagnates or it increases,” adds Caroline Jamet. “Afterwards, the intensity is more or less strong depending on the area.” Behind Haute-Garonne and Hérault, Pyrénées-Orientales (+ 0.6%), Gard (+ 0.5%) and Tarn-et-Garonne (+ 0.5%) continue to see their numbers population increase quite significantly each year.
Because, except Haute-Garonne and Hérault where births still remain higher than deaths, in the eleven other departments of Occitanie deaths are greater than or equal to births. The increase in population is made possible by the arrival of new Occitans from elsewhere. “In the game of migration, all the departments of the region are gaining inhabitants,” summarizes INSEE. It should also be noted that compared to the previous period, the attractiveness of several rural departments such as Hautes-Pyrénées, Lot, Lozère and Ariège is strengthening.
