As of January 1, 2023, France, excluding Mayotte, officially had 68.094 million inhabitants, according to Insee. Between 2017 and 2023, the population grew at a rate of 0.39% per year, maintaining the same pace as the previous period. This apparent stability hides a more nuanced reality.
While growth continues, it increasingly relies less on births. The natural balance, or the difference between births and deaths, continues to decline across the entire territory, falling from +0.34% per year between 2012 and 2017 to just +0.15% between 2017 and 2023.
A rising French population… but at a contrasting pace
In other words, France is aging, and deaths now outnumber births in large parts of the country.
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In many regions, population growth now mainly depends on internal migrations, with a clear advantage for the west, the south, and attractive major cities.
Paris is losing residents...
One of the striking conclusions from this new publication is that Paris continues to lose residents. The capital recorded the second largest population decline among municipalities with over 100,000 inhabitants, just behind Mulhouse. This decline can be attributed to a negative migration balance, despite a still relatively dynamic natural balance.
With 2,103,778 inhabitants, Paris remains by far the most populated city in France, but it is seeing some of its residents move to cities considered more accessible, less expensive, or offering a better quality of life.
🔴 La capitale française se dépeuple.
— Hexagone - La France en chiffres (@Hexagone_org) December 11, 2025
Excepté le 4e arrondissement, tout Paris voit sa population décroître depuis 2014 : le 7e et le 10e ont même perdu 10% de leur population en moins d'une décennie. pic.twitter.com/DfwK4uP6BQ
...regional metropolises are captivating
In contrast, several major cities are experiencing steady growth. Villeurbanne, Montpellier, Toulouse, Rennes, and Rouen are seeing an annual increase of over 1%. These metropolises combine economic dynamism, student appeal, and the arrival of new residents, often from the Île-de-France region.
Among them, Toulouse (514,819 residents), Montpellier (310,240 residents), Nantes (327,734 residents), Bordeaux (267,991 residents), Rennes (230,890 residents), and Lille (238,246 residents) are also some of the most attractive. Their populations are growing thanks to a positive migration balance, driven by jobs, higher education, and a quality of life considered more balanced.
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This attractiveness can also be seen on the Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines, where towns like Pornic and Les Sables-d’Olonne continue to attract new residents. On the flip side, a wide diagonal line (the famous empty diagonal) stretching from the northeast to the southwest is where you’ll find population declines, mainly due to a very negative natural balance.