France sees more deaths than births in 2025 for first time since WWII
An estimated 645,000 babies were born in 2025, a 2.1% decline from 660,000 in 2024 and 24% lower than the 2010 peak. Meanwhile, deaths rose to approximately 651,000, a 1.5% increase year-on-year, largely attributed to a severe influenza outbreak at the start of the year.
Despite this natural population deficit, France’s overall population continued to grow slightly due to net migration, provisionally estimated at 176,000 in 2025. As of January 1, 2026, the country’s population reached around 69.1 million, including 66.8 million in metropolitan France and 2.3 million in overseas territories.
INSEE also reported a further decline in fertility, with the total fertility rate dropping to 1.56 children per woman in 2025 from 1.61 in 2024, marking one of the lowest levels since World War I. Life expectancy remained relatively high, at 85.9 years for women and 80.3 years for men, above the European Union average.
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