The population density in France was 124.3 people per square kilometer in 2022. This number has been slowly increasing for the past ten years. Higher population density is associated with urbanization, but not necessarily economic growth. Comparative densities France’s population density is higher than the European average. It is higher than any region except Asia, as well as the total world population density. This is likely due to the number of large cities in France. The country has one of the largest urban populations in the world. This shapes the French economic and social landscapes; the cities become more expensive, but they also bring more economic opportunities. These opportunities attract people both from the French countryside and other countries who hope to benefit from such jobs. A tale of two countries For those who can afford it, Paris can be a cosmopolitan paradise. However, with the average price of a rental apartment twice that of most other French cities, few can afford to live in the richest parts of the city. This stark difference in costs implies that average annual wages should have a similar difference between cities. While this is not a perfectly even cause and effect, it gives some explanation for the increasing population density of France.

Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in France was reported at 124 sq. Km in 2022, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. France - Population density (people per sq. km) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on September of 2025.

This bar chart presents the estimated population density in the Ile-de-France region (Paris area), in France, in 2025, by district. It appears that the city of Paris counted approximately 19,509 inhabitants per square kilometer, making it the most densely populated department in the region.

Historical dataset showing France population density by year from 1961 to 2022.

France FR: Population Density: People per Square Km data was reported at 122.578 Person/sq km in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 122.106 Person/sq km for 2016. France FR: Population Density: People per Square Km data is updated yearly, averaging 106.257 Person/sq km from Dec 1961 (Median) to 2017, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 122.578 Person/sq km in 2017 and a record low of 86.647 Person/sq km in 1961. France FR: Population Density: People per Square Km data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s France – Table FR.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.; ; Food and Agriculture Organization and World Bank population estimates.; Weighted average;

The population density in France is unevenly distributed. The country, which enjoys a great variety of regions and landscapes, is becoming more and more urbanized, and big cities concentrate economic activities. Ile-de-France and overseas regions: the most densely populated French regions In 2022, Ile-de-France was the French region with the highest population density. According to the source, there were ******* residents per square kilometer in Ile-de-France. In 2025, more than ***** million people lived in this region, which contains the city of Paris and its greater suburbs. The overseas regions, such as Guadeloupe, Reunion, and Martinique, are the most densely populated French regions after the Paris region. On the other hand, Corsica was the least densely populated region in metropolitan France. However, it is Guyane, the largest overseas department, which has the lowest density in France, with only *** inhabitants per square kilometre. Largely covered by the Amazon jungle, this French territory is almost entirely populated along the coasts. The overall population density in metropolitan France reached ****** inhabitants per square kilometer in 2021, compared to ****** in 2007. Ile-de-France, and particularly Paris, is the center of most of the economic, political, and social activities in France. For instance, the ten most visited national French museums and galleries in 2017 were all located in Paris. In 2014, Ile-de-France was the French region that had the highest expenditure on Research and Development (19 billion euros). Regions in France Hauts-de-France, in the northern part of the country, and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur in the southeastern part, were the second and the third most densely populated regions in Metropolitan France. The French southeastern coast is known for being highly urbanized, while its living conditions (sun, Mediterranean sea…) make it one of the most attractive regions to work and live in France. Hauts-de-France, which used to be one of the leading industrial regions of the country, now benefits from its geographical proximity to the heart of Europe: Brussels. Furthermore, rural regions like Centre-Val de Loire or Bourgogne Franche-Comté are less populous, and the share of the rural population in France is decreasing for years now.

In 2025, the Ile-de-France region, sometimes called the Paris region, was the most populous in France. It is located in the northern part of France, divided into eight departments and crossed by the Seine River. The region contains Paris, its large suburbs, and several rural areas. The total population in metropolitan France was estimated at around ** million inhabitants. In the DOM (Overseas Department), France had more than *** million citizens spread over the islands of Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion, Mayotte, and the South American territory of French Guiana. Ile-de-France: the most populous region in France According to the source, more than ** million French citizens lived in the Ile-de-France region. Ile-de-France was followed by Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Occitanie region which is in the Southern part of the country. Ile-de-France is not only the most populated region in France, it is also the French region with the highest population density. In 2020, there were ******* residents per square kilometer in Ile-de-France compared to ***** for Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, the second most populated region in France. More than two million people were living in the city of Paris in 2025. Thus, the metropolitan area outside the city of Paris, called the suburbs or banlieue in French, had more than ten million inhabitants. Ile-de-France concentrates the majority of the country’s economic and political activities. An urban population In 2024, the total population of France amounted to over 68 million. The population in the country has increased since the mid-2000s. As well as the other European countries, France is experiencing urbanization. In 2023, more than ** percent of the French population lived in cities. This phenomenon shapes France’s geography.

This statistic shows the population distribution in France on January 1st, 2025, by age group. In 2025, people aged under 15 accounted for 16.7 percent of the total French population, whereas around 10 percent of the population were 75 years and older. By comparison, the number of members of the population over the age of 65 years has increased even more prominently, reaching 14.57 million in 2025. The number of people living in France has been steadily increasing since 1982, exceeding 68 million in 2025, having thus grown by seven percent during that time.

France FR: Population Density: Inhabitants per sq km data was reported at 124.080 Person in 2022. This records an increase from the previous number of 123.710 Person for 2021. France FR: Population Density: Inhabitants per sq km data is updated yearly, averaging 115.770 Person from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2022, with 33 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 124.080 Person in 2022 and a record low of 103.570 Person in 1990. France FR: Population Density: Inhabitants per sq km data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The data is categorized under Global Database’s France – Table FR.OECD.GGI: Social: Demography: OECD Member: Annual.

Demographics data France 2023 at municipality level - 24+ attributes, including number of households, household structure, number of families, family structure, and more.

In recent decades, the number of prisoners per 100 places has fluctuated in France. The year 1990 was the year with the highest density, with *** prisoners per 100 places, whereas 2001 was the year with the lowest. In 2023, French prisons had an average of *** prisoners per 100 operational places. Since the *****, the number of prisoners in France has increased steadily.

France population density for 400m H3 hexagons.

Built from Kontur Population: Global Population Density for 400m H3 Hexagons Vector H3 hexagons with population counts at 400m resolution.

Fixed up fusion of GHSL, Facebook, Microsoft Buildings, Copernicus Global Land Service Land Cover, Land Information New Zealand, and OpenStreetMap data.

Comprehensive socio-economic dataset for France including population demographics, economic indicators, geographic data, and social statistics. This dataset covers key metrics such as GDP, population density, area, capital city, and regional classifications.

France - Distribution of population by tenure status, type of household and income group - EU-SILC survey was 61.20% in December of 2024, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for France - Distribution of population by tenure status, type of household and income group - EU-SILC survey - last updated from the EUROSTAT on September of 2025. Historically, France - Distribution of population by tenure status, type of household and income group - EU-SILC survey reached a record high of 65.10% in December of 2018 and a record low of 60.50% in December of 2007.

Since 1968, the population density in the city of Marseille, located in the south of France, has fluctuated and generally decreased. Indeed, there were about 3,628 inhabitants per square kilometer in 2021, compared with 3,694.7 in 1968. The year in which the population density was highest was 1975, and the year in which it was lowest was 1999.Marseille is the second largest city in France in terms of population, following Paris.

• Population density 2023 (inhabitants per km²), Lorraine: 2021 - Territorial entities: arrondissements (Lorraine, Wallonie), cantons (Luxembourg), Kreise (Saarland, Rheinland-Pfalz) - Statistical data sources: Destatis, INSEE, Statbel, STATEC. Harmonization: IBA / OIE 2024 - Geodata sources: GeoBasis-DE / BKG, IGN France, NGI-Belgium, ACT Luxembourg. Harmonization: SIG-GR / GIS-GR 2024

Density of nursing and midwifery personnel of France slumped by 8.51% from 10.3 number per thousand population in 2020 to 9.4 number per thousand population in 2021. Since the 0.99% rise in 2019, density of nursing and midwifery personnel dropped by 7.70% in 2021.

Demographics data France 2023 at municipality level - 50+ attributes, including age, gender, gender split by age

Demographics data France 2023 at municipality level - 16 attributes, including number of dwellings, dwelling types, occupancy, and more

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