Insee Première · September 2025 · n° 2073

Fewer moves over the past decade, but the West and peri‑urban areas remained attractive

Between 2013 and 2023, the number of moves within France declined. They affected 8.8% of the population in 2023, compared with 10.8% ten years earlier. Long‑distance residential moves fell less sharply. The Covid crisis did not alter this trend, although it did lead to longer-distance relocations.

The Atlantic coast and Occitanie regions remained highly attractive for new residents, with a particularly sharp increase for Brittany. The residential mobility balance also improved in Bourgogne‑Franche‑Comté and Normandy, where it turned positive. By contrast, Île‑de‑France recorded a steep and worsening net outflow.

Arrivals in major cities declined, while peri‑urban areas gained inhabitants through residential mobility. Peri‑urban developments accelerated, with more households moving to less densely populated areas.

The drop in mobility between 2013 and 2023 affected all types of households and all age groups, except for teenagers finishing secondary school. It was less marked among childless couples. Population ageing, with a rising share of older and fewer mobile people, accounted for 14% of the overall decline in mobility over the decade.