France Population

The country of France sits on the western edge of Europe. Bordered by several countries with a long coast on the Bay of Biscay and the English Channel, France has long been a key player in major historical, political, and cultural events. Founded in 1792, the country’s history dates back to the Iron Ages. While it has been fought over and ruled by many different forms of government, France currently enjoys a unitary state with a semi-presidential system and is a constitutional republic.

Currently, there are just over 65 million people living in France. The country’s population growth is low, at just 0.17%, which means the country will continue to grow but at a slow pace. By 2050, it’s predicted that France will have just over 70 million people calling it home.

A mostly urban country

While the thought of the idyllic countryside of France may be appealing to many, the vast majority of France’s population live in urban areas, and population in rural areas continues to drop. In fact, it’s predicted that by 2021, only 12 million people will live in rural areas. This is partially due to the ever-expanding suburbs spreading out from France’s cities.

The French population increased by almost 40% between 1936 and 1999, with most of these people choosing to live in urban areas for lifestyle, better paying jobs, and better access to healthcare and childcare.

A high fertility rate

By European standards, France has a high fertility rate. Compared to places like Spain and Italy, France’s 1.84 fertility rate puts the country in a solid position to continue growing. This rate has increased after reaching a historic low in the 1990s. While immigration does play a role in the country’s high fertility rate, it doesn’t account for nearly as much as some people assume. Instead, immigration (while bolstering the country’s growth rate overall), only accounts for immigrant mothers adding around 0.1 children to the national rate.

A manageable population density overall, a high population density in Paris

Metropolitan France has a population density of 117 people per square kilometer. This ranks it at the 95th most densely populated country in the world. However, this changes once you reach Paris. The largest city and the capital of France, Paris is home to about 2.1 million people in the city and has a population density of 20,386 people per square kilometre—a difference of over 17,000%. While larger than many of its European counterparts, France is still a relatively small country with only 547,557 square kilometers.

Rising life expectancy

France’s has a generous life expectancy, and, on average, most people can expect to live to be around 83 years old. Women outlive men by about 6 years, with men dying on average around 79 years old. The life expectancy is France is predicted to continue to rise as medical achievements allow us to overcome more illnesses. By 2050, the average life expectancy is France is predicted to be around 89 years old—an increase of 6 years. France also has a low obesity level, low levels of binge drinking, and their rate road deaths continue to fall.

Overwhelmingly Roman Catholic

The history of the Catholic Church in France is a long and storied one. The first written records of Christians in France date back to the 2nd century, and Clovis I, who is considered the founder of France, was a stanch Catholic. Even though France maintains a tradition of secularism and has not officially collected data on people’s religious affiliations since 1872, it’s estimated that almost 70% of the population identify as Christian, with the vast majority of those identifying as Roman Catholic. The next largest religion in France is Muslim, with between 7-9% of the population.