Immigrants now make up 11.3% of France’s population, new figures show
2.6 million (33% of the immigrant population) had obtained citizenship
Insee counted 6 million foreigners in 2024, equivalent to 8.8% of the total population
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Some 11.3% of the population of France, equivalent to 7.7 million people, are immigrants, according to recent statistics from Insee, released last year.
The figures, which relate to 2024, show that 2.6 million (33% of the immigrant population) had obtained French nationality.
In this case, immigrants were defined as people born as foreigners, in foreign countries, who now live in France.
Statistics further revealed details of foreigners, defined as someone who lives in France without French citizenship, either because they have another nationality, or because they are stateless.
It does not include people who have French nationality and one or several other nationalities.
Insee counted 6 million foreigners in 2024, equivalent to 8.8% of the total population.
This includes cases where foreigners are born in France and do not take up French nationality.
Immigrants by location of birth
Africa was the continent of birth of the largest proportion of immigrants (48.9%), followed by Europe (30.9%), Asia (14.3%), and the Americas and Pacific region (5.9%).
Definition by country of birth showed Algeria at the top (12.4%), followed by Morocco (11.7%), Portugal (7.3%), Tunisia (4.9%), Italy (3.6%), Turkey (3.4%), and Spain (3.1%). These seven countries accounted for 46.4% of all immigrants.
Migration variance
The report also showed the difference between the number of immigrants entering France versus the number of people leaving the country. Figures available from 2006 up to 2021 show net immigration consistently higher than net emigration.
“On average between 2006 and 2021, three immigrants entered the country for every one who left, for example at the end of a period of study or work in France, or upon retirement,” the report said.
Historical and gender comparisons
Finally, the report summarised how the immigrant population of France has evolved over recent decades.
“After a decline in the proportion of immigrants in the population between 1931 (6.6%) and 1946 (5.0%), the proportion of immigrants increased until 1975. It then stabilised until the end of the 1990s, particularly following the oil crises and the slowdown in labour immigration.
“Since the early 2000s, the number of immigrants has once again been growing faster than the total population.”
It added that between the mid-1940s and the mid-1970s, immigration flows were predominantly male, largely to meet labour needs arising from post-war reconstruction. In 2024, however, over half (52%) of immigrants living in France were women.
The report is available online.
