Insee Focus · December 2021 · n° 257

Demographic dynamism weakened between 2013 and 2019, with the degradation of the natural balance

On 1 January 2019, 66 988 000 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 2019, the population declined in Martinique and Guadeloupe; it was relatively stable in Hauts-de-France, Grand Est, Normandie, Centre-Val de Loire and Bourgogne-Franche-Comté , and grew elsewhere. An increasing number of departments had a declining population. Rural areas under influence of cities are the most dynamic. They combine migratory and natural surplus. Conversely, autonomous rural areas had a demographic deficit due to a negative natural balance.