Total population in France 1982-2023

The total population of France has been increasing for years now, exceeding 68 million inhabitants in 2024. France is the second most populous country in Europe after Germany. Like most Western nations, France is struggling with an aging population.

Demographics in France

Since a few years, the population growth in France has been decreasing. In 2011, the population grew by about 0.48 percent. Ten years later, in 2021, this number only reached 0.18 percent. However, unlike the majority of European countries, France appears to have a steady fertility rate of around 1.83 children per woman. This phenomenon allows France to be ranked as the most fertile country in Europe. But this cannot hide the facts that the population is getting older every year.

An aging country

The median age of French citizens has been increasing since the seventies. In 2050, the median age in France is expected to reach 46 years, compared to 36.2 years back in 1995. France has one of the highest life expectancies in Europe. Even though its birth rate seems pretty high compared to other European nations, this does not appear to be enough to slow down the growing trend of the French median age.