Demographic dynamism weakened between 2013 and 2018, with the degradation of the natural balance

On 1 January 2018, 66,733,000 people were living in France excluding Mayotte, representing an average growth of 0.4% per year since 2013. Demographic dynamism weakened, as the natural balance decreased in almost all regions. Between 2013 and 2018, the population declined in Martinique and Guadeloupe; it was relatively stable in five other regions and growed elsewhere. An increasing number of departments had a declining population. In particular, in Paris, the Dordogne and the Territoire de Belfort, the population is now declining.

The area of attraction of the cities with 700,000 or more inhabitants were the most dynamic, particularly those of Bordeaux, Nantes, Montpellier, Toulouse and Rennes. They usually combined natural and migratory surpluses. Conversely, declines were concentrated in areas with less than 50,000 inhabitants. Within the areas, the population of the commuting zone often growed faster than in the centres thanks to the installation of new inhabitants.