The Normandy population continues to grow, but at a slower pace, according to the latest figures published by INSEE.
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The Normandy population continues to increase, but at a much more moderate pace than before. According to the latest figures from the INSEE census, published in December 2024, the region had 3.33 million inhabitants in 2022.
Since 2016, population growth has only been 0.02%, a far cry from the 0.13% recorded between 2011 and 2016. This stagnation is partly explained by a natural deficit: deaths now outnumber births. . The slight increase in population is therefore solely due to immigration from outside the region, as in most French regions.
In Normandy, the demographic dynamics vary greatly from one department to another. Only Seine-Maritime (+0.06%) and Calvados (+0.26%) showed growth. Conversely, Eure, Manche and Orne recorded population declines over the period.
Le Havre remains the most populated municipality with 166,400 inhabitants, followed by Rouen (116,331), Caen (108,398), Cherbourg-en-Cotentin (78,028), Évreux (48,337) and Sotteville-lès-Rouen (29,039). Le Havre, however, has seen its population decrease by 0.38% since 2016. The maritime metropolis thus joins cities like Paris, Mulhouse or Reims among the ten French municipalities with more than 100,000 inhabitants experiencing the most marked declines.
On the other hand, Rouen and Caen continue their demographic growth. These towns have gained 6,214 and 2,995 residents respectively in six years, reaching 116,331 and 108,398 residents today.
In small towns, demographic changes sometimes turn out to be spectacular. Goustranville, a village in Calvados with 315 inhabitants, shows a notable increase of +10.06% since 2016, making it the commune with the greatest demographic variation. Conversely, just seven kilometers away, Troarn is suffering a 7.4% drop in population, the largest in the region, now reaching 3,500 inhabitants.
Christian Le Bas, mayor of Troarn, explains this situation by strong local constraints. “We have not built housing since 2020, because the municipality encountered a problem with its wastewater treatment plant. Until the processing capacity was increased, it was forbidden to launch new real estate projects“, underlines the elected official. In addition, the majority of land in the city is classified as agricultural, which limits development possibilities.
