The mortality rate has been stable in France since the middle of 1980s. The mortality rate varies between *** and ***** deaths per 1,000 inhabitants. Life expectancy of women in France amounted to more than 85 years in 2023, making the country one of the areas in Europe where women live the longest. A slowly increasing death rate From 2014 to 2020, the death rate in France generally remained stable, oscillating mostly between *** and *** deaths per 1,000 population. Death rate, also known as mortality rate, is the ratio between the annual number of deaths and the average total population over a given period and on a specific territory. In 2023, the population in France reached ***** million people, while in 2022, the total number of deaths in France was *******. The mortality rate in France increased slowly in recent years. In 2007, the death rate amounted to *** per thousand population, compared to *** deaths ten years later. Causes of death In 2013, the leading cause of death among French citizens was cancer. That year, ******* people died of tumors, while diseases of the circulatory system were the second most common cause of death in the country. Mortality rate because of cancer was particularly high among French males, whereas females appear to be more affected by cardiovascular disease. Studies have shown that cancer was not only the leading cause of death in France, but also in Europe. More broadly, health and diseases were among the major causes of death in European countries, even if traffic accidents killed more than ***** individuals in France in 2021.

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) caused a certain number of deaths within the French population. With 29,101 victims, the Paris Region, Île-de-France, recorded the highest number of deaths in France as of June 30, 2023. On the other hand, the regions of metropolitan France least affected were those of Brittany and Corsica. For further information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, please visit our dedicated Facts and Figures page.

Historical chart and dataset showing France death rate by year from 1950 to 2025.

In 2032, there were 639,269 deaths in France. Of course, this figure must be related to the total population. In 2024, the death rate in France was 9.4 per 1,000 inhabitants. Deaths in France Despite being the second most populous country in Europe, France was ranked fourth in terms of the number of deaths in Europe in 2017. As in other Western countries, the leading causes of death among the French population appear to be diseases and cancer. In 2017, more than 73 thousand French women died of cancer. Circulatory system diseases were also one of the most frequent causes of death. Regarding external causes of death, France has been fighting for years against road deaths. Prevention campaigns, as well as new traffic regulations, have led to a decrease in road deaths in France since 2006. Aging in France France has one of the highest life expectancies in Europe. The French appear to be concerned about health issues, now that the population of the country is getting older. However, since the mid-2000s, the number of healthy life years of French male citizens at birth has over 63 years, whereas it reaches 58 years in Germany.

France murder/homicide rate per 100K population for 2021 was 1.14, a 5.98% increase from 2020.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>France murder/homicide rate per 100K population for 2020 was <strong>1.07</strong>, a <strong>8.22% decline</strong> from 2019.</li>
<li>France murder/homicide rate per 100K population for 2019 was <strong>1.17</strong>, a <strong>7.98% increase</strong> from 2018.</li>
<li>France murder/homicide rate per 100K population for 2018 was <strong>1.08</strong>, a <strong>2.18% decline</strong> from 2017.</li>
</ul>Intentional homicides are estimates of unlawful homicides purposely inflicted as a result of domestic disputes, interpersonal violence, violent conflicts over land resources, intergang violence over turf or control, and predatory violence and killing by armed groups. Intentional homicide does not include all intentional killing; the difference is usually in the organization of the killing. Individuals or small groups usually commit homicide, whereas killing in armed conflict is usually committed by fairly cohesive groups of up to several hundred members and is thus usually excluded.

This graph shows the number of people killed during the yellow vests movement in France between November 2018 and January 2019. In total, twelve deaths occurred during the yellow vests protests.

What is the yellow vests movement?

The yellow vests movement, called Gilets Jaunes in French, began in October 2018. It has been caused by the combination of general discontentment with the action of President Emmanuel Macron, and an increase in fuel prices. The protestors, using the high-visibility yellow vest as a symbol, denounced the high cost of living of middle classes. They also accused the government to leave behind peri-urban and rural areas.

The main actions of the movement were demonstrations all across the country, which gathered thousands of citizens coming from different backgrounds and political orientations. These protests involved for example blocking roads and were characterized by violent police response.

After months of mass demonstrations demanding more social and fiscal justice, the movement obtained some concessions such as the cancellation of fuel tax and the implementation of a Great National Debate.

Correlations between in-hospital COVID-19-related deaths in the Paris region and temperatures measured from 19 days before death to the date of death (study period: 31 March to 31 May 2020).

Nearly ***** road fatalities were recorded on French roads in 2023, down from around ***** deaths in 2022. Road fatalities had fluctuated in France, with the COVID-19 pandemic and related lockdowns helping to bring down the fatality rate in 2020. Alcohol- and speed-related offenses in France Yet, according to a survey conducted by the French National Inter-Ministerial Road Safety Observatory in 2014, ** percent of the respondents believed that not enough was done to prevent and control drink driving. Further, ** percent of those surveyed also believed that police enforcement against drug consumption on the road was lacking. Nevertheless, the same institution reported that, in 2015, ten percent of all the road offenses recorded more than 100 times were related to alcohol. Offenses related to speed control accounted for almost ** percent of all the road offenses. The European perception of road fatalities On the other side of the Rhine, in Germany, where the consumption of alcohol seems to be more widespread – with around 137 liters of alcoholic beverage per capita in 2014 - the authorities seem to have managed to reduce the number of road traffic fatalities more efficiently. It went from ***** deaths reported in 2006 to ***** deaths in 2022. From a European perspective, ** percent of Europeans believed that driving under alcohol or drugs influence was the main general cause of fatal accidents on the road in their respective countries.

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Correlations between COVID-19-related ICU admissions in the Paris region and temperatures measured from 19 days before ICU admission to the date of admission (study period: 31 March to 10 May 2020).

This statistic presents the distribution of the number of pedestrians who died on French roads in 2018, by age group and gender. That year, seven women and 30 men aged between 18 and 24 were killed in a road accident in France.

In 2018, almost 3,300 people died on the French roads. Most of these people found death in an accident involving a driver under the influence of alcohol. Drunk driving is one of the main causes of fatal car accidents, not only in France but also in Europe.

The influence of speed and alcohol on car accidents

In 2016, traffic accidents were the fifth cause of death in the European Union. In France, road accidents have been considered a societal issue for decades. The French Government has implemented road safety measures in order to limit high-speed and fight against driving under influence. However, these two reasons keep being the main killers on the road, particularly among young drivers. Between 2013 and 2015, more than 45 percent of road fatalities caused by speed concerned drivers aged 18 to 24 years. Over the same time period, alcohol was the second main cause of fatal car accidents which involved young drivers.

The decrease of road accidents?

On a general level, the number of road fatalities in France seems to be decreasing. On the tolled motorway network, for example, the death rate per billion kilometers went from 4.8 in 2000 down to 1.8 in 2015. In terms of number of road traffic fatalities per 100,000 inhabitants, France is not especially well-ranked in Europe. However, it is one of the only European nations which have seen a decrease in pedestrian and cyclist fatalities from 2010 to 2016, while for the same period the decrease in road deaths reached nearly 13 percent.

Number of deaths (95% confidence intervals) avoided or postponed per year and Number of deaths avoided or postponed per year per 100,000 travellers who shifted modes (95% confidence intervals).

In France, the number of people killed as a result of police action has been rising since 2010. That year, *** people died in such circumstances, compared with ** in 2022. A record ** deaths were recorded in 2021.

The source specifies that the figures "cover all situations resulting in death (from bullets, illness, or non-lethal weapon...), without prejudging the legitimacy or otherwise of law enforcement action."

The number of cyclist fatalities rose in France between 2010 and 2020. This trend could have an influence on the feeling of safety among French cyclists. Moreover, France recorded the highest number of bicycle fatalities in 2019, with 187 people killed. Nevertheless, 2020 seemed to undergo a downward trend.

The number of fatal motorized two-wheeler accidents in France increased year-over-year, up to 668 motorcyclists killed on French roads in 2021. This increase was due to a rowth in fatal motorcycle accidents, up by 93 fatalities. In contrast, there were less fatal moped accidents that year than in 2020.

In France, in 2023, there were ***** homicides recorded by the security forces. The number of homicides recorded was the lowest in 2020. But it has increased continuously in the following years, reaching its highest level in 2023.

This statistic presents the ranking of the most significant terrorist acts since 2000 among French in 2018. It appears that ** percent of respondents declared that Paris attacks on 13 November 2015 were one of the terrorists acts that impacted them the most. On November 13, 2015 a series of coordinated terrorist attacks took place in Paris. Suicide bombers attacked the Stade de France where Les Bleus met German national soccer team in a friendly game. The bombing was followed by several mass shootings in central Paris. Several shootings occurred at restaurants and café whereas three gunmen carried out another mass shooting and took hostages in the Bataclan theatre during an Eagles of Death Metal concert. *** people were killed that day including ** at the Bataclan theatre. These attacks were the deadliest on France since World War II.

In 2024, the birth rate in France reached its lowest level since 1982. From 1982 to 2019, the birth rate in France has been fluctuating between more than 11 births and almost 14 births for 1,000 inhabitants. For the first time in this period, the birth rate fell below 11 in 2020. The highest birth rate in France during this period was recorded in 1982. That year there were 14.8 births per 1,000 inhabitants. Since then, the birth rate in the country keeps decreasing. If France keeps being one of the European countries with the highest fertility rate, it is still been impacted by the decline in the birth rate that affects most Western countries. A Declining birth rate Birth rate is the ration between the annual number of live births and the average total population over that year. In 2023, there were 640,000 live births in France, while the French population amounted to 68 million people. The average number of children born per women went from 2.03 in 2010, down to 1.66 in 2023. Births in France With a crude birth rate of 10.9 births per 1,000 inhabitants in 2020, France still has one of the highest birth rates in Europe. The percentage of children born out-of-wedlock in France has been rising since the nineties, reaching 65.2 percent in 2022. Another change can be seen in the average age at childbirth among French women. In 2022, most of women in France were aged 31.1 years old at childbirth, compared to 28.8 years old in 1994.

Among selected cities in France, Strasbourg stood out in terms of cyclist and pedestrian safety in 2022. Strasbourg earned a score of 80 percent, highlighting the relatively low number of pedestrian and cyclist deaths in relation to its population size. Meanwhile, Paris secured a score of 65 percent, closely followed by Marseille at 63 percent.