This bar chart presents the estimated population density in the Ile-de-France region (Paris area), in France, in 2024, by district. It appears that the city of Paris counted approximately 19,882 inhabitants per square kilometer, making it the most densely populated department in the region.

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 region: most densely populated French regions In 2020, 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 2023, 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 Guyanne, 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 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 which 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 region 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.

The population density in France was 123.27 people per square kilometer (47.24 per square mile) in 2021. 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. In fact, 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 opportunites 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.

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.

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 65 million inhabitants. In the DOM (Overseas Department), France had more than two million citizens spread over the islands of Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion, Mayotte, and the South American territory of French Guyana. Ile-de-France: most populous region in France According to the source, more than 12 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 1,021.6 residents per square kilometer in Ile-de-France compared to 115.9 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 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 increased since the mid-2000s. As well as the other European countries, France is experiencing urbanization. In 2023, more than 81 percent of the French population lived in cities. This phenomenon shapes France’s geography.

The Global Human Footprint dataset of the Last of the Wild Project, version 2, 2005 (LWPv2) is the Human Influence Index (HII) normalized by biome and realm. The HII is a global dataset of 1 km grid cells, created from nine global data layers covering human population pressure (population density), human land use and infraestructure (built-up areas, nighttime lights, land use/land cover) and human access (coastlines, roads, navigable rivers).The Human Footprint Index (HF) map, expresses as a percentage the relative human influence in each terrestrial biome. HF values from 0 to 100. A value of zero represents the least influence -the "most wild" part of the biome with value of 100 representing the most influence (least wild) part of the biome.

This bar chart presents the population of the city of Paris in France in 2020, distributed by district, also called arrondissement in French. It shows that the XVe arrondissement, located on the left bank of the river Seine, was the most populous district with more than 231,000 inhabitants.

[Situation 2017] Own production at the Paris Region Institute, the 2017 morphological breakdown is the result of an internal methodology. It includes 7 morphological sectors:

1. The center of the Paris agglomeration
   Communes or arrondissements of the Paris agglomeration (main agglomeration of the Île-de- France) very urbanized and very dense, meeting the two following criteria:
   • the rate of urbanized spaces must be greater than or equal to 95%.
   • the human density in built urban spaces must be greater than or equal to 300 individuals per hectare (ind/ha).
   
   
2. Dense communities in the Paris conurbation < /b>
   Urbanized and dense municipalities of the Paris agglomeration, meeting the following requirements:
   • the rate of urbanized spaces must be greater than or equal to 80%
   • human density in urban spaces must be greater than or equal to 100 individuals per hectare.
   
   
3. The other predominantly urbanized municipalities of the Paris agglomeration Municipalities of the central agglomeration moderately urbanized and moderately dense, meeting under the following conditions:
   • the rate of urbanized spaces must be greater than or equal to 65%
   • the human density in urban spaces must be greater than or equal to 30 individuals per year 'hectare.
   
   
4. Other agglomerations
   Other sparsely urbanized or sparsely populated municipalities that are not part of the previous sectors but which are included in the Paris agglomeration defined by INSEE.
   
   
5. The main municipalities of secondary agglomerations
   Main municipalities with moderately dense agglomerations which do not belong to the urban unit of Paris of 2008 (in the INSEE sense) with a human density at least equal to 30 individuals per hectare and human activity (population + employment in 2016) greater than or equal to 5,000 individuals.
   
   
6. Other municipalities in secondary agglomerations
   Other agglomerated municipalities that do not belong to the urban unit of Paris in 2008.
   
   </ li>
7. The rural municipalities
   The set of remaining municipalities constitutes the rural area. These are rural municipalities which, according to the INSEE definition, do not belong to an urban unit.

The Finance Act of 15 September 1807 established the parcel cadastre, known as “Napoleonian cadastre”, throughout the French territory. The implementation is particular for Paris because of the density of its occupation. Block plans by neighbourhood are too brief to allow for an effective tax assessment. More detailed plans were then executed under the direction of Philibert Vasserot (prefectural decree of 25 April 1809). Nearly 26200 ground floor plans were raised until 1854, one sheet per building, for the twelve old arrondissements of Paris. These early 19th century plans are being digitised, described and posted on the National Archives’ documentary portal (https://www.siv.archives-nationales.culture.gouv.fr/siv/IR/FRAN_IR_059652). As of November 2023, 9534 plans are available on the Internet. The dataset made available here was based on archive inventories. It contains the following information: - Address: street name, no - Year - Indexation: street, old district, new district - Details: division or district name, islet number, owner name - Scale - Dimensions - Techniques and materials - Rating - URL of the notice on the documentary portal of the National Archives - URL of the images on the documentary portal of the National Archives

This graph shows the estimated population in the city of Paris from 1989 to 2025. It appears that the number of inhabitants in the French capital decreased since 2012 and from 2.24 million Parisians that year down to 2.05 million in 2025. The high price of rents in the French capital might explain why a lot of people leave Paris to live in cheaper cities in France or the Paris agglomeration.

Morphological Division of Île-de-France

France Condominiums And Apartments Market size was valued at USD 5.14 Billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 10 Billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 6.55% from 2026 to 2032.

Key Market Drivers:

Urbanization and Population Density: Continued urbanization in France has increased demand for flats, particularly in big cities. According to INSEE (the French National Institute of Statistics), 80.4% of France’s population resided in cities as of 2022, with Paris alone having a population density of 20,641 people per square kilometer. This high urban concentration has a direct influence on the condominium market.

Housing Affordability Crisis: Rising property costs have driven more French people into flats and condos. According to the Banque de France, average home prices in France will rise by 6.8% in 2022, with Paris up 28.3% in the last five years. This price increase has made flats a more attractive alternative for first-time purchasers and young professionals.

The French condominiums and apartments market, valued at approximately €XX million in 2025, exhibits robust growth potential, projected to maintain a CAGR exceeding 5% from 2025 to 2033. This expansion is fueled by several key drivers. Firstly, France's growing urban population and increasing demand for modern, comfortable housing in major cities like Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux, and Marseille are significantly impacting market demand. Secondly, government initiatives promoting sustainable construction and urban renewal projects contribute to a positive investment climate. Finally, favorable interest rates and increased access to mortgages stimulate buyer activity within the market. However, challenges exist, including fluctuating material costs impacting construction expenses and potential regulatory hurdles related to building permits and environmental regulations. The market is segmented geographically, with Paris and Lyon anticipated to represent the largest shares due to high population density and economic activity. Key players such as GTM Bâtiment, Demathieu Bard Construction, and Bouygues Bâtiment Ile de France are vying for market share through innovative designs, sustainable construction methods, and strategic acquisitions. The competitive landscape is dynamic, with both large established firms and smaller, specialized companies actively participating. The ongoing growth is expected to continue, driven by consistent population increase and ongoing investments in urban infrastructure. The forecast period (2025-2033) projects continued expansion of the French condominiums and apartments market. While challenges such as material cost volatility and regulatory complexities need to be monitored, the underlying drivers of population growth, urbanization, and government support create a favorable outlook for sustained growth. The regional variations are anticipated to remain, with major metropolitan areas continuing to dominate the market share. Companies are focusing on delivering high-quality, sustainable housing that meets the evolving needs of French consumers, while simultaneously navigating the competitive pressures within the industry. The market is expected to see consolidation and strategic partnerships among companies in the coming years, driven by the need for economies of scale and access to resources. Recent developments include: October 2022: Edyn, the pioneer of the hybrid extended stay and a private real estate fund of Brookfield, announced the expansion of its lifestyle aparthotel brand Locke in Paris. A historic building in the city's fifth arrondissement has been purchased, and construction is now underway on a 145-room aparthotel that will debut in 2024. This is a particularly exciting acquisition because it signals Brookfield and Goldman Sachs's continuous support and endorsement while also marking their first foray into the long-desired market. As they continue to expand throughout Europe, they look forward to opening this historic building., January 2022: Nexity (a major integrated real estate group) and Meridiam (a purpose company specializing in sustainable infrastructure) partnered to support local authorities in the rehabilitation of city centers in France. This partnership supports major urban projects to rehabilitate run-down housing, clean up infrastructure (buildings and housing, etc.), and conduct urban renewal operations.. Key drivers for this market are: Demand for New Dwellings Units, Government Initiatives are driving the market. Potential restraints include: Supply Chain Disruptions, Lack of Skilled Labour. Notable trends are: France's Rising Apartment Prices.

The Urban Observatory Compare app shows maps of the same subject for three cities, in a side by side comparison view. The app allows quick visual comparisons of the patterns at work in cities around the world.The app allows people to interact with rich datasets for each city. People can use the Urban Observatory web application to easily compare cities by using a simple web browser. As a user zooms in to one digital city map, other city maps will zoom in parallel, revealing similarities and differences in density and distribution. For instance, a person can simultaneously view traffic density for Abu Dhabi and Paris or simultaneously view vegetation in London and Tokyo.The Urban Observatory is brought to you by Richard Saul Wurman, creator of Technology/Entertainment/Design (TED) and 19.20.21; Jon Kamen of the Academy Award-, Emmy Award-, and Golden Globe Award-winning film company @radical.media; and Esri president Jack Dangermond. "A map is a pattern made understandable, and patterns must be compared to understand successes, failures, and opportunities of our global cities," says Wurman. "The Urban Observatory demonstrates this new paradigm, using cartographic language and constructive data display. People and cities can use maps as a common language," said Wurman. The application utilizes Esri's ArcGIS API for JavaScript. Once a web map is created, it is added to a group and tagged to indicated its city and subject information. Those tags are read by the application as it starts up in the browser.

Ordinal relation of similarity differences represented as a connection matrix CBLondon for London relative to the set of words {London, Moscow, Paris, north, south, east, west, Germany, Poland, Russia} shown by initial letters, derived from the probability density estimates for the brain data in Figure 9.

This graph represents the number of general practitioners settled in Paris in 2017, by arrondissement. That year, there were about 310 general practitioners in the 13th arrondissement of Paris.

Urban population growth has been constant for several decades in France. Between 1960 and 2023, it rose from 61.88 percent to 81.78 percent. The phenomenon of urbanization was more significant in the 1960s. Indeed, over this period, the rate of the French population living in cities increased by 10 points. The evolution was more weighted over the next 50 years, rising from 71.06 percent in 1970 to 80.98 percent in 2020.An increase in urbanization was accompanied over the same period by a sharp rise in the overall French population, from 55.57 million inhabitants in 1982 to around 68 million in 2024. Paris, an urban giant in France Like in the United Kingdom, the French-style centralized system has led to a high concentration of population around economic, financial, cultural and political centers, all located in the British and French capitals. London and Paris (and its conurbation) are among the largest urban centers on the continent, with Moscow being the most populous. This centralization of power has led to a very heterogenous distribution of population density. The Paris region has a density of more than 1000 inhabitants per km², which is ten times higher than the Haut-de-France region, the second densest region in Metropolitan France.This centralization of power attracts a strong French and foreign workforce. The French capital is by far the most populated city in France. If solely the municipality of Paris is taken into account, it had more than 2 million inhabitants in 2019, which is more than twice as many as in Marseille and four times as many as in Lyon, the country's second and third most populous cities. Future challenges for French cities Access to employment is no longer the only reason to settle in a town. Other factors come into play in the life choices of city dwellers. In 2019, more than 90% of the French estimated that the presence of green areas was important to settle or not in a district. The pollution level of the city was also considered in the choice of the city. In order to address these pollution problems, municipalities must resolve transportation issues on their own territory. Previously the king of the town, the car is increasingly losing ground to public transport in urban areas. Cities like Paris are relying more on public transport. Between 2011 and 2016, RATP and SNCF have built more than 60 kilometers of tramway tracks . Moreover, the construction of additional train and metro lines in the Grand Paris project aimed at better connecting the suburbs to each other without passing through intramural Paris.Making it easier to travel by bicycle is one of the options chosen by many conurbations to relieve congestion in their cities. Since the early 2000s, self-service bicycles have been a great success in France with more than 2400 bicycles available in Toulouse or 4000 in Lyon in 2017. A source of much tension between motorists, municipalities and cyclists, the sharing of the road between 4 and 2 wheelers has, however, been widely developed. In Strasbourg, for example, the municipality had around 1.04 metres of cycle lanes per inhabitant in 2017, the highest rate in France. However, the layout of cycle paths can be perilous and a majority of cyclists in France still feel unsafe on the road.

Aryandoust, A., van Vliet, O. & Patt, A. City-scale car traffic and parking density maps from Uber Movement travel time data. Scientific Data 6, 158 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-019-0159-6

With over 21,300 air services, the connection between Paris and Nice was the most served route between the French capital and domestic destinations in 2022. Toulouse was the second-most frequent connection from Paris, with around 19,600 flights connecting the cities in the same year.

The fast-food industry tends to be particularly present in large French cities. Paris had the highest density of fast-food restaurants in France in 2021. In fact, 336 restaurants of leading fast-food chains were in operation in the French capital that year. The largest fast-food chain in the city was McDonald's in the same year.

Mcdonald's, the undisputed market leader in France

If Burger King made its return a few years ago on the French market and increasingly competes with McDonald's, the American giant of the fast-food remained unchallenged in 2020. Indeed, the brand generated the best revenue in the fast-food service industry and had the best coverage on the French territory.

Eating at fast-food restaurants in France

According to a survey conducted in 2019, if a majority of French people stated they enjoy eating at fast-food restaurants, most of them rarely go there. These consumers also affirmed going to those restaurants mainly because they would be quickly served. Furthermore, such establishments appeal to parents with young children under 18 years old and young people since a very large majority of 18-24-year-oldsfrequented fast-food establishments in 2019.