top cx logo
cx logo
Explorearrow down
search icon

French population grows to 65.35m

Census reveals that baby-boom is coming to an end - although people are living longer

WHEN France woke up on January 1, 2012 there were 65.35 million people in the country, with more of them living for longer and more of them being over 65 years old.

Statistics from official agency Insee show that the population has grown by 349,000 over the past year and by 10 million since 1982. It is growing at the same rate as in previous years, at 0.5% thanks to there being more births than deaths - with little sign of being influenced by growing immigration.

The birth rate of 2.01 children per women is the second highest in Europe but couples are waiting longer to have their first child; with the average being 30.1 years in 2011.

Insee research chief Pascale Breuil told Le Monde that the conditions in France were right for an increasing pregnancy rate: "Women can continue to work or not, couples can have children whether married or not - and they also know that they will benefit from a political climate that is in favour of families and helping ease the financial consequences of this change."

In Germany, the paper said, the arrival of a baby often meant that the mother left the employment market.

However, change was on the way because the baby-boom generation are now too old to have children - although they are living longer - and as their offspring get older the natural cycle is to have fewer births over the next 30 years.

The statistics also highlighted how relatively immobile the French are: seven out of 10 people still live in the region where they were born. While Alsace leads the way in retaining its "own" in other regions people move either into a neighbouring region or to Ile-de-France.

The main areas of population growth are the Mediterranean and Atlantic coastlines, the Rhône valley and the suburbs of large cities.

Languedoc-Roussillon and Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur have the greatest number of incomers, with just under half of the people living there not having been born in the regions.

This is especially true of retired people as PACA has 1.12 million séniors while only 0.55m were born there. Along the Channel coastline the number of OAPs is on average 10% less than the number of séniors born there.

Students, however, have been flocking to Midi-Pyrénées and Languedoc-Roussillon where there are half as many again as the number born there.

One change over the past 10 years has been that the large "empty zone" down the centre of France - from the Ardennes to the Massif Central - has lost fewer inhabitants than before thanks to efforts to retain residents.

Graphic from Insee website www.insee.fr

Resident or second-home owner in France?
Benefit from our daily digest of headlines and how-to's to help you make the most of life in France
By joining the newsletter, you agree to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy
See more popular articles
The Connexion Help Guides
featured helpguide
Healthcare in France*
Featured Help Guide
- Understand the French healthcare system, how you access it and how you are reimbursed - Useful if you are new to the French healthcare system or want a more in-depth understanding - Reader question and answer section Aimed at non-French nationals living here, the guide gives an overview of what you are (and are not) covered for. There is also information for second-home owners and regular visitors.
Get news, views and information from France