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Demographics in France - statistics & facts

In 2025, the total French population exceeded 68.6 million, a figure that has been steadily increasing for decades, thanks to the highest number of children per woman in Europe. Despite this relative dynamism, France faces many demographic challenges. The generation renewal rate is set at 2.1 children per woman, and the population is aging. Between 2006 and 2025 alone, the number of people over 65 went from 10 million to over 14.5 million.

Paris, the demographic heart of France

Due to its history, France has rapidly built and unified around a central power located in Paris. Due to its privileged economic position, the capital city attracted a rural population in search of employment throughout the 20th century. The rural exodus is now over, and the rate of urbanization has been set at around 81.8 percent by 2023. The Paris region is also the most populated region in France, with more than 12.4 million inhabitants, and the most densely populated region, with more than 1,000 inhabitants per square kilometer.

Aging population, a demographic challenge

With an increasing share of the population over 65 years old, France is facing a demographic headache. Indeed, with the number of births decreasing year after year since 2010, the French government fears that the number of active people will be insufficient in the coming years to meet the needs of the growing number of elderly. Unlike its European neighbors, such as Spain or Germany, immigration as a possible solution to the demographic challenge is still little considered in France. Indeed, net migration is relatively low in France, fluctuating between 29,500 and 201,000 per year since 2008.

A new family model

In France, marriage is no longer the highlight of a couple's life, and the number of marriages has fallen since 2000. On the contrary, the number of civil unions, known under the acronym PACS in French, increased between 1999 and 2010 before stabilizing around 200,000 unions per year thereafter. Finally, family composition has also changed over the past two decades. Mothers are increasingly older at the time of their child's birth, and most couples no longer wait until they are married to have a child.
This text provides general information. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Research Department, Dec 17, 2025

Key insights

  • Number of people over 65 years in France
  • 15.34m
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