INED’s latest “Recent demographic trends in France” report highlights France’s singular position within the European Union

Accelerating population aging, slowed population growth, higher rate of infant mortality, somewhat stronger propensity to get married or establish a civil union—the new INED “Recent demographic trends in France” report stresses the country’s singular position within the European Union (EU27). The researchers involved in the study* present a panoramic view of France’s demographic situation based on the latest available consolidated data**.

Slowed population growth

On January 1, 2024, France had 68.4 million inhabitants, an increase of 230,000 from the figure for the preceding year. However, growth is slowing. Natural increase is at an historic low (fewer than 50,000 people), and demographic growth is now driven mainly by net migration.

An aging French population, though still a relatively young one at the European scale

While France still has one of the youngest EU27 populations, its population is aging more quickly while the number of births has decreased considerably. The share of the population under 20 (23%) is now almost identical to that of over-65s (22%).

A slowdown in births and a historic drop in fertility

678,000 children were born in France in 2023, a fall of 6.6% from 2022. The total fertility rate has hit its lowest level since the end of WWII, at 1.64 children per woman in metropolitan France. Yet despite the drop, France remains one of the most fertile countries in Europe. Fertility has fallen in all age categories. The country’s fertility-by-age profile is close to that of western and northern European countries, while France has the highest proportion of births outside marriage (65%).

Heavier migration flows, changing migrant profiles

The number of people who obtained official migrant status in France in 2022 was the highest since the year 2000 (283,000), and the year was also marked by a considerable rise in economic migration (up 4 points) and feminization of that migration. France ranks 5th for migration flows in EU27, but 21st when migrant numbers are related to the size of the population.

Contrasting mortality rates and public health challenges

There were 631,000 deaths in France in 2023, a remarkable drop compared to 2022 although still above pre-pandemic levels. While life expectancy continues to improve (80.0 years for men, 85.7 for women), the country is lagging considerably behind when it comes to infant mortality (23rd out of 27).

People getting married increasingly later in life, but marriage and union numbers rising slightly

Marriages and civil union numbers rose slightly in 2023, continuing to catch up after the health crisis years. Nonetheless, average age on first marriage continues to rise (34 for women, 36 for men), indicating a gradual French alignment with trends observed in southern and western European countries.