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In 2026, the Ile-de-France region, sometimes called the Paris region, was the most populous in France. It is located in the northern part of France, divided into eight departments and crossed by the Seine River. The region contains Paris, its large suburbs, and several rural areas. 
The total population in metropolitan France was estimated at around ** million inhabitants. In the DOM (Overseas Department), France had more than *** million citizens spread over the islands of Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion, Mayotte, and the South American territory of French Guiana. 

Ile-de-France: the most populous region in France

According to the source, more than **** million people lived in the Ile-de-France region. Ile-de-France was followed by Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and the Occitanie region, which is in the Southern part of the country. Ile-de-France is not only the most populated region in France, but it is also the French region with the highest population density. In 2020, there were ** residents per square kilometer in Ile-de-France compared to for Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, the second most populated region in France. More than two million people were living in the city of Paris in 2025. Thus, the metropolitan area outside the city of Paris, called the suburbs or banlieue in French, had more than ten million inhabitants. Ile-de-France concentrates the majority of the country’s economic and political activities.

An urban population

In 2025, the total population of France amounted to almost ** million. The population in the country has increased since the mid-2000s. As well as the other European countries, France is experiencing urbanization. In 2023, more than ** percent of the French population lived in cities. This phenomenon shapes France’s geography.