France Population
France had an estimated population of 68,720,337 in mid-2025 (World Bank), making it the 23rd most populous of 217 countries and territories, with 0.84% of everyone alive. The counter above projects that figure forward at the current growth rate of +0.25% a year.
France at a glance
How France's population is changing
France's population is roughly stable: +0.25% a year, which works out to about +168,891 people per year, or +462 a day. Births (9.7 per 1,000) and deaths (9.4 per 1,000) alone would give +0.03% a year; net migration adds about 91,737 people a year (+0.13%). Roughly one in every 120 people on Earth lives in France.
Population of France since 1960
In 1960, France had 47,412,964 people. By 2025 that was 68,720,337 — 1.4× larger. The fastest growth came between 1960 and 1970, when the population rose by 10%.
| Year | Population | Change vs previous row |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 47,412,964 | — |
| 1970 | 52,007,169 | +9.7% |
| 1980 | 55,274,184 | +6.3% |
| 1990 | 58,261,012 | +5.4% |
| 2000 | 60,918,661 | +4.6% |
| 2010 | 65,026,211 | +6.7% |
| 2020 | 67,601,110 | +4.0% |
| 2025 | 68,720,337 | +1.7% |
France from 1800 to 2100
Modelled estimates put France at about 29,000,000 people in 1800; the UN estimates 66,650,804 in 2025 (2× 1800) and projects 68,484,560 for 2100 in its medium scenario.
| Year | Population | Kind |
|---|---|---|
| 1800 | 29,000,000 | modelled estimate |
| 1850 | 36,317,907 | modelled estimate |
| 1900 | 40,019,136 | modelled estimate |
| 1950 | 41,883,122 | UN estimate |
| 2000 | 59,483,716 | UN estimate |
| 2025 | 66,650,804 | UN projection |
| 2050 | 68,219,681 | UN projection |
| 2075 | 67,822,259 | UN projection |
| 2100 | 68,484,560 | UN projection |
Country live/base figures use World Bank estimates; this historical/future chart uses a separate UN series and need not match the World Bank base in overlapping years. Before 1950: HYDE 3.3 / Gapminder reconstructions via Our World in Data — historical modelling, not censuses. 1950–2023: UN World Population Prospects 2024. 2024–2100: UN medium projection. Open the time machine to see the whole map in any year.
Largest listed places in France
10 records sorted by displayed base population. Definitions vary (province/administrative unit, UN urban centre or GeoNames settlement); this is not a harmonised city ranking. Shares use World Bank 2025 country population 68,720,337. Dates and boundaries may differ. Overlapping entities are not summed.
| # | Place | Population | Definition | Share | Source / reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paris | 9,381,921 | UN urban centre | 13.65% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 2 | Lyon | 1,202,985 | UN urban centre | 1.75% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 3 | Lille | 893,282 | UN urban centre | 1.30% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 4 | Marseille | 891,463 | UN urban centre | 1.30% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 5 | Toulouse | 642,224 | UN urban centre | 0.93% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 6 | Bordeaux | 631,551 | UN urban centre | 0.92% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 7 | Nantes | 453,523 | UN urban centre | 0.66% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 8 | Nice | 418,294 | UN urban centre | 0.61% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 9 | Strasbourg | 398,175 | UN urban centre | 0.58% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 10 | Grenoble | 359,128 | UN urban centre | 0.52% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
How France compares
France has almost the same population as United Kingdom (69,487,000).
| Rank | Country | Population | vs France | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #21 |  Tanzania | 70,545,865 | +3% | compare → |
| #22 |  United Kingdom | 69,487,000 | +1% | compare → |
| #24 |  South Africa | 64,747,319 | −6% | compare → |
| #25 |  Italy | 58,915,656 | −14% | compare → |
Compare France with any country →
Same region (Europe & Central Asia): Russia, Türkiye, Germany, United Kingdom, Italy, Spain.
Explore around France
Land neighbours (8)
Brazil 212,812,405 · 3.1× the population · compare
Germany 83,491,249 · 1.2× the population · compare- Italy 58,915,656 · 1.2× smaller · compare
Spain 49,355,143 · 1.4× smaller · compare
Belgium 11,941,781 · 5.8× smaller · compare
Switzerland 9,092,436 · 7.6× smaller · compare
Luxembourg 686,970 · 100.0× smaller · compare
Suriname 639,850 · 107.4× smaller · compare
France's 8 neighbours together hold 426,935,490 people — 6.2× France's population. The most populous is Brazil (212,812,405).
In its region
France is the 5th most populous of the 58 economies in Europe & Central Asia, holding 7.4% of the region's 932,525,035 people.
Rankings featuring France
- Largest countries by population #23
- Oldest populations (share aged 65+) #17
- Highest life expectancy #24
Cities
Paris, Lyon, Lille, Marseille, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Nantes, Nice — all France's cities on the map.
World population history · The world when you were born · France when you were born · Time machine · Embed this live counter on your site
About these numbers
Population, growth, birth and death rates, migration, density, age structure, life expectancy, fertility and GDP per capita come from the World Bank Indicators API (latest available year shown beside each figure). The live counter applies the annual growth rate continuously from 1 July 2025 — a model, not a measurement. City populations are the latest census or official estimate held by GeoNames and are not projected. Sub-city units are folded into their parent city.
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Read this country carefully
This page is a structured reference entry. Its sources, geographic definition and reference dates determine what the figures mean; it is not independent reporting about the causes of change. Read the accompanying explanation before comparing different places or vintages.