Ile-de-France: most populous region in France Ile-de-France is not only the most populated region in France, it is also the French region with the highest population density.
The City of Paris is the centre of the Île-de-France region, or Paris Region, with an official estimated population of 12,271,794 inhabitants on January 1, 2023, or about 19% of the population of France, making the region France's primate city.
The low population density (less than 30/km², or 78/mi²) is caused largely by the rural exodus and urbanisation of the 19th and 20th centuries.
As France's least populated department, Lozère is somewhere you can truly escape. It's ideal for hikers, encompassing four mountain ranges. Other natural wonders include the Gorges du Tarn canyon, a mecca for kayakers and climbers. Nestled in the heart of France is this bucolic department where cows outnumber people!
France's countryside started emptying out around the middle of the 19th century, prompted by industrialization, urbanization, and low fertility rates. Those phenomena hit France earlier than most other European countries. Why?
According to the figures, the poorest region in France is Corsica, also known as the country's 'Island of Beauty', with 19.8 percent of people living there living on less than the median...
In France in 2018, a total of 1.9 million people were in extreme poverty and a further 170,000 likely to be. Out of those 1.9 million people in extreme poverty and living in ordinary housing, mobile homes or homeless, 35% are children, while 7% are aged 65 or over.
During the French revolution, the French society was divided into three estates. The peasants belong to the third estate and have to pay all the taxes, the third estate constituted 97% of the population out of which most of them were peasants (About 90%).
Since the end of the Second World War, France has become an ethnically diverse country. Today, approximately five percent of the French population is non-European and non-white. This does not approach the number of non-white citizens in the United States (roughly 15-25%, depending on how Latinos are classified).
Lower literacy rates are found mostly in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. The world's largest ethnic group is Han Chinese, constituting over 19% of the global population in 2011. In terms of the largest number of native speakers, Mandarin is the world's most spoken language.
Race & Ethnicity
The largest Paris racial/ethnic groups are White (94.7%) followed by Hispanic (2.5%) and Asian (1.8%).
Race & Ethnicity
The largest Paris racial/ethnic groups are White (60.6%) followed by Black (24.3%) and Hispanic (9.1%).
In France, slums are synonymous with precarious housing, unsanitary conditions and difficult living conditions. More often than not, families living in slums must struggle without access to clean water, sanitation, hygiene and electricity.
Poverty was highest among younger and older people in 2019-20, but COVID income supports did much to reduce it among children and young people. The average rate of poverty in 2019-20 was 17% among children, 14% among young people 15-24 years of age, 12% among people aged 25-64 years, and 14% among older people.
The list of the top twenty wealthiest communes in France is dominated by Paris and its suburbs. As well as the capital city itself, the list also includes surrounding communes of Saint Cloud, Boulogne Billancourt, St Germain en Laye, Versailles, St Maur des Fosses and Rueil Malmaison.
The housing stock in France is increasing at a faster rate than the population, resulting in a rise in the number of empty properties. One of the main characteristics of the French housing market is the high number of new homes that are constructed each year.
But, if you live in bigger cities like Paris, work in an international company where the business language is English, or study in an English-taught program, you can live in France without speaking French. Especially those who'll live in France for a short time won't struggle.
France is about 1.5 times bigger than Germany but with a population 20% smaller. In effect, it has a larger rural area with less people to populate it. And as more and more people relocate to cities, more houses are being added to the market—often at bargain prices.
The majority of Muslims in France belong to the Sunni denomination and are of foreign origins. Sizeable minorities of Shia, Ahmadiyya and non-denominational Muslims also exist. The French overseas region of Mayotte has a majority Muslim population.
Marseille is the second largest city in France, and the capital of Provence. It has a unique Mediterranean character and is probably the most multicultural city in Europe.