French population tops 65 million

FRANCE’S population has reached a record high and the birth rate is now the highest since the baby boom.

There were 61 million people in mainland France and the overseas departments in 2001 (54 million in 1981) and there are now just over 65 million, the latest figures from statistics body Insee show. The birth rate has now passed two babies per woman at 2,01, the highest since the mid-1970s.

Birth rates are going up because more over-30s (especially over-35s) are having children; 30 has become the average age for giving birth.

Contrary to some other European countries, the population rise in France is mainly the result of rising birth rates, as opposed to immigration. There was a net increase owing to the changes in birth/death rates of 283,000 last year compared to 75,000 due to immigration/departures.

France’s rate has almost reached that of Ireland, the highest in Europe: 2,07, considered to be almost enough to maintain a stable population with no immigration.

Life expectancy went up by four months last year, men’s now being on average 78.1 and women’s 84.8.

Another tendency confirmed in the latest figures is the popularity of the pacs. Last year, there were 249,000 marriages, down from 252,000 in 2009, and 195,000 pacses (up 13 per cent), or three pacses for every four marriages.

The population also continues to age, with 16.8 per cent of people aged 65 or more, up from 16.6.

Photo: Dmitry Nicolaev