In France, nine in ten people live in a functional area

The functional area of a city defines the extent of its influence on the surrounding municipalities. In France, the 699 functional areas are home to over nine in ten people: 51% of the French population lives in centres and 43% in commuting areas. One in five lives in the Paris functional area.

Between 2007 and 2017, the population grew considerably in functional areas with 700,000+ inhabitants. Since 2012, the population has stabilised in areas with fewer than 50,000 inhabitants and in municipalities outside of functional areas. Within functional areas, population growth is slower in central municipalities than in commuting areas.