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18,000 fewer residents in a year: why Paris keeps emptying out

undefined undefined 21 avril 2026 undefined 09h30

The Editor

© Jagoda Bartus / Le Bonbon

While the capital continues to attract thousands of tourists year after year, the Parisians have only one thing on their minds: to escape as quickly as possible. As a result, the City of Light is seeing its population shrink more and more. According to the latest census released by Insee, Paris loses several thousand residents each year, and this has been happening for over 10 years.

This is not a new story, yet this news still breaks our hearts: every year, the population is decreasing in the French capital. And 2025 was no exception. According to the latest report from Insee, no less than 18,000 people decided to leave the most beautiful city in the world to start their lives elsewhere last year. And even though it's an unusual choice, we can understand their reasons.


An increasingly expensive life

Behind these numerous departures, there’s a pretty obvious fact: the cost of living in the capital. So, in most cases, the move really comes down to a desire to pay less, especially in adorable little Parisians. And according to the trend over the last 15 years, the situation isn't set to change anytime soon. Because while in 2010, the capital had 2,268,265 inhabitants, it has dropped to 2,080,692 by 2025, and could reach 2.06 million by 2040.


An increasingly attractive region

While the capital is becoming less and less appealing, the Île-de-France region is, on the contrary, continuously seeing its population grow. It had nearly 12.6 million people as of January 1, 2026, which is an increase of more than 45,000 people in just one year. This rise is particularly noticeable in Seine-Saint-Denis and Seine-et-Marne. This can easily be explained by… the massive influx of Parisians, who, while wanting to leave the capital, don’t want to stray too far away, and we totally get that! Crossing the périph’, yes, but staying within reach of a metro or possibly an RER., always. Whatever happens, the capital remains, by far, the most populated city in France, and it's not going to empty out anytime soon.