This statistic shows the ten largest cities in France as of 2022. In 2022, around 2.11 million people lived in Paris, making it the largest city in France.

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.

Actual value and historical data chart for France Population In Largest City

France FR: Population in Largest City data was reported at 10,844,847.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 10,789,031.000 Person for 2016. France FR: Population in Largest City data is updated yearly, averaging 9,226,364.500 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 10,844,847.000 Person in 2017 and a record low of 7,410,735.000 Person in 1960. France FR: Population in Largest City 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: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Population in largest city is the urban population living in the country's largest metropolitan area.; ; United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects.; ;

France FR: Population in Largest City: as % of Urban Population data was reported at 20.512 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 20.490 % for 2016. France FR: Population in Largest City: as % of Urban Population data is updated yearly, averaging 21.394 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 25.582 % in 1960 and a record low of 20.472 % in 2014. France FR: Population in Largest City: as % of Urban Population 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: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Population in largest city is the percentage of a country's urban population living in that country's largest metropolitan area.; ; United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects.; Weighted Average;

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.

By 1800, London had grown to be the largest city in Western Europe with just under one million inhabitants. Paris was now the second largest city, with over half a million people, and Naples was the third largest city with 450 thousand people. The only other cities with over two hundred thousand inhabitants at this time were Vienna, Amsterdam and Dublin. Another noticeable development is the inclusion of many more northern cities from a wider variety of countries. The dominance of cities from France and Mediterranean countries was no longer the case, and the dispersal of European populations in 1800 was much closer to how it is today, more than two centuries later.

This dataset is about cities in France. It has 863 rows. It features 7 columns including country, population, latitude, and longitude.

Actual value and historical data chart for France Urban Population Percent Of Total

Between 1500 and 1800, London grew to be the largest city in Western Europe, with its population growing almost 22 times larger in this period. London would eventually overtake Constantinople as Europe's largest in the 1700s, before becoming the largest city in the world (ahead of Beijing) in the early-1800s.

The most populous cities in this period were the capitals of European empires, with Paris, Amsterdam, and Vienna growing to become the largest cities, alongside the likes of Lisbon and Madrid in Iberia, and Naples or Venice in Italy. Many of northwestern Europe's largest cities in 1500 would eventually be overtaken by others not shown here, such as the port cities of Hamburg, Marseilles or Rotterdam, or more industrial cities such as Berlin, Birmingham, and Munich.

Historical dataset of population level and growth rate for the Paris, France metro area from 1950 to 2025.

France Motor Vehicle Ownership: HH: Area: Towns: Over 100,000 Population data was reported at 82.300 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 81.400 % for 2015. France Motor Vehicle Ownership: HH: Area: Towns: Over 100,000 Population data is updated yearly, averaging 80.200 % from Dec 2002 (Median) to 2017, with 15 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 82.300 % in 2017 and a record low of 76.200 % in 2003. France Motor Vehicle Ownership: HH: Area: Towns: Over 100,000 Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by French Automobile Manufacturers Committee . The data is categorized under Global Database’s France – Table FR.TA004: Motor Vehicle Ownership per Household.

It is estimated that the largest cities in Western Europe in 1330 were Paris and Granada. At this time, Paris was the seat of power in northern France, while Granada had become the largest multicultural city in southern Spain, controlled by the Muslim, Nasrid Kingdom during Spain's Reconquista period. The next three largest cities were Venice, Genoa and Milan, all in northern Italy, renowned as important trading cities during the middle ages. In October 1347, the first wave of the Black Death had arrived in Sicily and then began spreading throughout Europe, decimating the population.

Historical dataset of population level and growth rate for the Lyon, France metro area from 1950 to 2025.

Historical dataset of population level and growth rate for the Nantes, France metro area from 1950 to 2025.

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.

Historical dataset of population level and growth rate for the Toulouse, France metro area from 1950 to 2025.

The catchment area of a city is a group of municipalities, of a single enclave and enclave, which defines the extent of the influence of a cluster of population and employment on the surrounding municipalities, this influence being measured by the intensity of commuting to work. Urban area zoning follows the zoning into urban areas in 2010. An area consists of a pole and a crown. The poles are determined mainly on the basis of density and total population criteria, using a methodology consistent with that of the municipal density grid. A threshold of jobs is added in order to prevent essentially residential municipalities with few jobs from being considered poles. Within the pole, the most populous commune is called the center commune. If a pole sends at least 15 % of its assets to work in another pole of the same level, the two poles are associated and together form the heart of a catchment area. Municipalities that send at least 15 % of their assets to work in the pole are the crown of the area. https://www.insee.fr/fr/information/4803954

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.

The list of communes of France contains 38 data allowing to identify the communes and to link the French communes with files from the Open Data, using the Insee code of the commune, or the postal code(s), codes of departments, regions, cantons or academy. The files also contain data on population, area, density, coordinates (of the town hall and geographical center), altitude (average, minimum and maximum) and various information. The simplified geography of the territory of the communes is present in the files marked "with geography" or "with polygon". The names of the cities are offered in 5 different formats (with or without article and/or preposition, in lower or upper case...). The municipalities of the overseas departments, regions and collectivities (DROM-COM) are included in the files but some data may be missing. ### Available file formats The files are available in csv, csv.gz and json on data.gouv.fr. Files in Excel (xlsx), Parquet (.parquet) and Feather (.feather) formats are not accepted on data.gouv.fr but are freely available on villedereve.fr/open-data-donnees-libres-sur-les-communes. ### Years Available The files are available for the years 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. The geographies used are those of year N-1 (e.g. 1 January 2024 for file 2025). The differences between the files from one year to the next mainly concern the population as well as administrative changes (groupings or deletions of municipalities, mainly). ### List of data available in files - insee_code: Common code, INSEE code, code assigned by INSEE to the municipality - standard_name: Standard name of the municipality, with its article (e.g.: Le Havre) - name_without_pronoun: Name of the municipality, without its article if applicable (e.g. Havre) - name_a: Name of the municipality, preceded by the preposition to, to or from and article of the municipality, if applicable (e.g.: Le Havre) - name of: Name of the municipality, preceded by the preposition of the municipality's article(s), if any (e.g. Le Havre) - name_without_accent: Name of the municipality without accent, special characters or spaces - Standard_name: Name of municipality in capital letters (e.g.: THE HAVRE) - typecom: Type of municipality in abbreviated version (COM, COMA, COMD, ARM) - typecom_text: Type of municipality in text version - reg_code: Region code assigned by INSEE to the region of the municipality - reg_name: Name of the region where the municipality is located - dep_code: Department code assigned by INSEE to the department of the commune - dep_nom: Name of the department where the municipality is located - canton_code: Canton code of the commune - canton_name: Name of the canton of the municipality - epci_code: EPCI code (public institutions of inter-municipal cooperation) assigned by INSEE to the region of the municipality - epci_name: Name of the EPCI where the municipality is located - postal_code: Main postal code of the municipality - postal_codes: Postal codes attached to the municipality - academie_code: Code of the academy of attachment of the schools of the commune - academie_nom: Name of the home academy - employment_zone: Area of use of the municipality, defined by INSEE - code_insee_centre_zone_emploi: INSEE code of the municipality centre of the area of employment - population: Municipal population - area_hectare: Area of the municipality, in hectare - area_km2: Area of the municipality, in km2 - density: Density of the municipality, inhabitant per km2 - average_altitude: Average altitude, m - minimum_altitude: Minimum altitude, m - maximum_altitude: Maximum altitude, m - latitude_mairie: Latitude of the town hall - longitude_mairie: Longitude of the town hall - latitude_centre: Latitude of the centroid of the communal territory - longitude_centre: Longitude of the centroid of the communal territory - densite_grid: Communal grid of density at 7 levels, according to INSEE - nice: Gentile (names of inhabitants) - url_wikipedia: URL of the wikipedia page of the municipality - url_villedereve: URL of the page City of dream of the municipality ### Data source - INSEE - geo.api.gouv.fr - Ministry of Education - La Poste