Third country nationals found to be illegally present - annual data in France

France: Third country nationals found to be illegally present - annual data was 159,460 in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
159,460
Change on year
up 12.1%
World rank
2nd
of 33 countries
All-time high
159,460
in 2025
All-time low
48,965
in 2013
Years of data
18
2008–2025

Third country nationals found to be illegally present - annual data in France, 2008–2025

50.0k75.0k100.0k125.0k150.0k2008201620252008: 111.7k2009: 76.4k2010: 56.2k2011: 58.0k2012: 49.8k2013: 49.0k2014: 96.4k2015: 109.7k2016: 92.0k2017: 115.1k2018: 105.9k2019: 120.5k2020: 103.9k2021: 117.3k2022: 115.1k2023: 119.0k2024: 142.2k2025: 159.5k

Source: Eurostat.

Analysis

In 2025, third country nationals found to be illegally present - annual data in France stood at 159,460. That is the highest value across all 18 years on record.

The figure is up 12.1% on the previous year and up 45.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, third country nationals found to be illegally present - annual data in France peaked at 159,460 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 48,965, in 2013.

That places France 2nd out of 33 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 18 years of available data.

Third country nationals found to be illegally present - annual data in France, year by year

Annual values for Third country nationals found to be illegally present - annual data (rounded) in France, 2008 to 2025.
Year Value Change
2008 111,690
2009 76,355 -31.6%
2010 56,220 -26.4%
2011 57,975 +3.1%
2012 49,760 -14.2%
2013 48,965 -1.6%
2014 96,375 +96.8%
2015 109,720 +13.8%
2016 91,985 -16.2%
2017 115,085 +25.1%
2018 105,880 -8.0%
2019 120,455 +13.8%
2020 103,915 -13.7%
2021 117,265 +12.8%
2022 115,135 -1.8%
2023 118,975 +3.3%
2024 142,190 +19.5%
2025 159,460 +12.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 94,022 76,355 111,690 2
2010s 85,242 48,965 120,455 10
2020s 126,157 103,915 159,460 6

Countries ranked near France

  1. 1 Germany 168,360 compare
  2. 3 Italy 82,505 compare
  3. 4 Greece 60,800 compare
  4. 5 Spain 58,910 compare

See the full ranking of 35 places →

More reference data data for France

All data for France →

Frequently asked questions

What is third country nationals found to be illegally present - annual data in France?
Third country nationals found to be illegally present - annual data in France was 159,460 in 2025, according to Eurostat.
What is the highest third country nationals found to be illegally present - annual data recorded in France?
The highest recorded value was 159,460 in 2025.
What is the lowest third country nationals found to be illegally present - annual data recorded in France?
The lowest recorded value was 48,965 in 2013.
How does France rank for third country nationals found to be illegally present - annual data?
France ranks 2nd out of 33 countries with data for 2025.
Is third country nationals found to be illegally present - annual data rising or falling in France?
Over the last ten years it is up 45.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this France data come from?
The figures come from Eurostat, published as part of Third country nationals found to be illegally present - annual data (rounded). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Third country nationals found to be illegally present - annual data in France. Statizoid, drawing on Eurostat. Retrieved 24 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/third-country-nationals-found-to-be-illegally-present-annual-data-rounded/france/

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About this data

Indicator
Third country nationals found to be illegally present - annual data (rounded)
Source
Eurostat
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat)
Coverage
35 places, 579 data points, 2008–2025
Last refreshed