Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in France
France: Do more people live in urban or rural areas? was 78.8% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
78.8%
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
79th
of 238 countries
All-time high
78.8%
in 2025
All-time low
3.6%
in 1000
Years of data
108
1000–2025
Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in France, 1000–2025
Source: HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
France recorded 78.8% for do more people live in urban or rural areas? in 2025. That is the highest value across all 108 years on record.
The figure is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 1.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, do more people live in urban or rural areas? in France peaked at 78.8% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 3.6%, in 1000.
France ranks 79th of 238 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 108 years of available data.
Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in France, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1000 | 3.6% | — |
| 1100 | 4.9% | +36.1% |
| 1200 | 5.7% | +16.3% |
| 1300 | 5.5% | -3.5% |
| 1400 | 6.1% | +10.9% |
| 1500 | 6.7% | +9.8% |
| 1600 | 6.8% | +2.2% |
| 1700 | 7.0% | +2.2% |
| 1710 | 8.9% | +27.5% |
| 1720 | 10.9% | +21.6% |
| 1730 | 12.8% | +17.8% |
| 1740 | 14.7% | +15.1% |
| 1750 | 16.6% | +13.1% |
| 1760 | 18.6% | +11.6% |
| 1770 | 20.5% | +10.4% |
| 1780 | 22.4% | +9.4% |
| 1790 | 24.3% | +8.6% |
| 1800 | 26.3% | +7.9% |
| 1810 | 28.2% | +7.3% |
| 1820 | 30.1% | +6.8% |
| 1830 | 32.0% | +6.4% |
| 1840 | 34.0% | +6.0% |
| 1850 | 35.9% | +5.7% |
| 1860 | 37.8% | +5.4% |
| 1870 | 39.8% | +5.1% |
| 1880 | 41.7% | +4.8% |
| 1890 | 43.6% | +4.6% |
| 1900 | 45.5% | +4.4% |
| 1910 | 47.5% | +4.2% |
| 1920 | 49.4% | +4.1% |
| 1930 | 51.3% | +3.9% |
| 1940 | 53.2% | +3.7% |
| 1950 | 54.7% | +2.8% |
| 1951 | 55.4% | +1.2% |
| 1952 | 56.1% | +1.2% |
| 1953 | 56.7% | +1.2% |
| 1954 | 57.4% | +1.1% |
| 1955 | 58.0% | +1.1% |
| 1956 | 58.7% | +1.1% |
| 1957 | 59.4% | +1.2% |
| 1958 | 60.1% | +1.2% |
| 1959 | 60.9% | +1.3% |
| 1960 | 61.7% | +1.3% |
| 1961 | 62.5% | +1.4% |
| 1962 | 63.5% | +1.5% |
| 1963 | 64.6% | +1.8% |
| 1964 | 65.9% | +2.0% |
| 1965 | 67.2% | +2.0% |
| 1966 | 68.4% | +1.8% |
| 1967 | 69.5% | +1.5% |
| 1968 | 70.2% | +1.1% |
| 1969 | 70.8% | +0.9% |
| 1970 | 71.4% | +0.8% |
| 1971 | 71.9% | +0.7% |
| 1972 | 72.3% | +0.6% |
| 1973 | 72.7% | +0.5% |
| 1974 | 72.9% | +0.3% |
| 1975 | 73.0% | +0.2% |
| 1976 | 73.1% | +0.1% |
| 1977 | 73.1% | +0.1% |
| 1978 | 73.2% | +0.1% |
| 1979 | 73.2% | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 73.2% | +0.1% |
| 1981 | 73.3% | +0.1% |
| 1982 | 73.4% | +0.1% |
| 1983 | 73.4% | +0.1% |
| 1984 | 73.5% | +0.1% |
| 1985 | 73.6% | +0.1% |
| 1986 | 73.6% | +0.1% |
| 1987 | 73.7% | +0.1% |
| 1988 | 73.8% | +0.1% |
| 1989 | 73.9% | +0.1% |
| 1990 | 74.1% | +0.2% |
| 1991 | 74.2% | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 74.4% | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 74.6% | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 74.8% | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 75.1% | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 75.4% | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 75.6% | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 75.9% | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 76.2% | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 76.5% | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 76.9% | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 77.3% | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 77.5% | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 77.5% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 77.4% | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 77.3% | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 77.2% | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 77.2% | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 77.1% | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 77.1% | -0.0% |
| 2011 | 77.1% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 77.2% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 77.2% | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 77.4% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 77.8% | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 78.6% | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 78.6% | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 78.7% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 78.7% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 78.7% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 78.7% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 78.8% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 78.8% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 78.8% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 78.8% | +0.1% |
France compared with similar countries
- France's 78.8% is below the median for high income countries, which is 81.3%, 97% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- France's 78.8% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 69.6%, 1.1× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in France changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1100 | +36.1% | 3.6% | 4.9% |
| 1710 | +27.5% | 7.0% | 8.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000s | 3.6% | 3.6% | 3.6% | 1 |
| 1100s | 4.9% | 4.9% | 4.9% | 1 |
| 1200s | 5.7% | 5.7% | 5.7% | 1 |
| 1300s | 5.5% | 5.5% | 5.5% | 1 |
| 1400s | 6.1% | 6.1% | 6.1% | 1 |
| 1500s | 6.7% | 6.7% | 6.7% | 1 |
| 1600s | 6.8% | 6.8% | 6.8% | 1 |
| 1700s | 7.0% | 7.0% | 7.0% | 1 |
| 1710s | 8.9% | 8.9% | 8.9% | 1 |
| 1720s | 10.9% | 10.9% | 10.9% | 1 |
| 1730s | 12.8% | 12.8% | 12.8% | 1 |
| 1740s | 14.7% | 14.7% | 14.7% | 1 |
| 1750s | 16.6% | 16.6% | 16.6% | 1 |
| 1760s | 18.6% | 18.6% | 18.6% | 1 |
| 1770s | 20.5% | 20.5% | 20.5% | 1 |
| 1780s | 22.4% | 22.4% | 22.4% | 1 |
| 1790s | 24.3% | 24.3% | 24.3% | 1 |
| 1800s | 26.3% | 26.3% | 26.3% | 1 |
| 1810s | 28.2% | 28.2% | 28.2% | 1 |
| 1820s | 30.1% | 30.1% | 30.1% | 1 |
| 1830s | 32.0% | 32.0% | 32.0% | 1 |
| 1840s | 34.0% | 34.0% | 34.0% | 1 |
| 1850s | 35.9% | 35.9% | 35.9% | 1 |
| 1860s | 37.8% | 37.8% | 37.8% | 1 |
| 1870s | 39.8% | 39.8% | 39.8% | 1 |
| 1880s | 41.7% | 41.7% | 41.7% | 1 |
| 1890s | 43.6% | 43.6% | 43.6% | 1 |
| 1900s | 45.5% | 45.5% | 45.5% | 1 |
| 1910s | 47.5% | 47.5% | 47.5% | 1 |
| 1920s | 49.4% | 49.4% | 49.4% | 1 |
| 1930s | 51.3% | 51.3% | 51.3% | 1 |
| 1940s | 53.2% | 53.2% | 53.2% | 1 |
| 1950s | 57.7% | 54.7% | 60.9% | 10 |
| 1960s | 66.4% | 61.7% | 70.8% | 10 |
| 1970s | 72.7% | 71.4% | 73.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 73.6% | 73.2% | 73.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 75.0% | 74.1% | 76.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 77.2% | 76.5% | 77.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 77.8% | 77.1% | 78.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 78.8% | 78.7% | 78.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near France
More reference data data for France
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 5.48 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 2.93 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 22.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.81 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 22.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 18.36 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 11.75 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 14.49 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 106.68 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 15.3 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is do more people live in urban or rural areas? in France?
- Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in France was 78.8% in 2025, according to HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest do more people live in urban or rural areas? recorded in France?
- The highest recorded value was 78.8% in 2025.
- What is the lowest do more people live in urban or rural areas? recorded in France?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.6% in 1000.
- How does France rank for do more people live in urban or rural areas??
- France ranks 79th out of 238 countries with data for 2025.
- Is do more people live in urban or rural areas? rising or falling in France?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this France data come from?
- The figures come from HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Do more people live in urban or rural areas?. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 108 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the population living in urban areas, combining UN estimates with modeled historical data.