Population density in France
France: Population density was 126.86 people per sq. km of land area in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
126.86 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
up 0.3%
World rank
86th
of 215 countries
All-time high
126.86 people per sq. km of land area
in 2023
All-time low
88.89 people per sq. km of land area
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Population density in France, 1961–2023
Source: FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in people per sq. km of land area.
Analysis
France recorded 126.86 people per sq. km of land area for population density in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
The figure is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 3.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in France peaked at 126.86 people per sq. km of land area in 2023 and was at its lowest, 88.89 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
France ranks 86th of 215 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Population density in France, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 88.89 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 89.78 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1963 | 90.69 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1964 | 91.66 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 1965 | 92.55 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1966 | 93.35 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 1967 | 94.11 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 1968 | 94.84 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 1969 | 95.62 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 1970 | 96.5 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 1971 | 97.41 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 1972 | 98.27 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 1973 | 99.07 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 1974 | 99.72 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 1975 | 100.2 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1976 | 100.63 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1977 | 101.1 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1978 | 101.56 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1979 | 102.01 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1980 | 102.56 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1981 | 103.17 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 1982 | 103.55 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 104.11 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1984 | 104.62 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1985 | 105.14 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1986 | 105.68 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 106.25 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1988 | 106.87 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 1989 | 107.51 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 1990 | 108.1 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1991 | 108.64 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1992 | 109.19 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 109.66 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 110.08 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 110.48 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 110.87 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 111.27 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 111.68 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 112.26 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 113.03 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 113.86 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 114.69 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2003 | 115.5 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 116.35 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 117.23 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 118.05 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 118.78 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 119.44 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 120.06 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 120.65 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 121.24 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 121.83 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 122.46 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 123.04 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 123.48 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 123.8 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 124.16 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 124.61 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 125.03 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 125.43 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 125.88 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 126.51 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 126.86 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 92.39 people per sq. km of land area | 88.89 people per sq. km of land area | 95.62 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 99.65 people per sq. km of land area | 96.5 people per sq. km of land area | 102.01 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 104.95 people per sq. km of land area | 102.56 people per sq. km of land area | 107.51 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 110.22 people per sq. km of land area | 108.1 people per sq. km of land area | 112.26 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 116.7 people per sq. km of land area | 113.03 people per sq. km of land area | 120.06 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 123.03 people per sq. km of land area | 120.65 people per sq. km of land area | 125.03 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 126.17 people per sq. km of land area | 125.43 people per sq. km of land area | 126.86 people per sq. km of land area | 4 |
Countries ranked near France
- 83 Cape Verde 129.61 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 84 Jordan 128.83 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 85 Syria 128.49 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 87 Benin 125.14 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 88 Azerbaijan 122.86 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 89 Poland 119.79 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for France
- Population in the largest city 20.9% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 8.23 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita 0.2309 units per person (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 15.87 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, annual 0.6226 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per unit 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per square 29.09 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in largest city 11.35 million (2025)
- Crude steelmaking capacity 19.12 Tonnes (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 1,345 Hectares (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in France?
- Population density in France was 126.86 people per sq. km of land area in 2023, according to FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest population density recorded in France?
- The highest recorded value was 126.86 people per sq. km of land area in 2023.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in France?
- The lowest recorded value was 88.89 people per sq. km of land area in 1961.
- How does France rank for population density?
- France ranks 86th out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population density rising or falling in France?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this France data come from?
- The figures come from FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.