Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in France
France: Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million was 23.1% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in France, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
France recorded 23.1% for population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.4% on the previous year and up 2.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in France peaked at 23.1% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 21.2%, in 1960.
France ranks 59th of 121 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in France, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 21.2% | — |
| 1961 | 21.4% | +0.9% |
| 1962 | 21.6% | +0.7% |
| 1963 | 21.6% | +0.2% |
| 1964 | 21.6% | +0.1% |
| 1965 | 21.7% | +0.2% |
| 1966 | 21.8% | +0.3% |
| 1967 | 21.8% | +0.4% |
| 1968 | 21.9% | +0.4% |
| 1969 | 21.9% | +0.1% |
| 1970 | 21.9% | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 21.9% | -0.0% |
| 1972 | 21.9% | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 22.0% | +0.1% |
| 1974 | 22.0% | +0.3% |
| 1975 | 22.1% | +0.3% |
| 1976 | 22.1% | +0.1% |
| 1977 | 22.1% | +0.1% |
| 1978 | 22.2% | +0.1% |
| 1979 | 22.2% | +0.1% |
| 1980 | 22.2% | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 22.2% | -0.0% |
| 1982 | 22.3% | +0.2% |
| 1983 | 22.3% | +0.1% |
| 1984 | 22.3% | +0.2% |
| 1985 | 22.4% | +0.2% |
| 1986 | 22.4% | +0.2% |
| 1987 | 22.4% | +0.1% |
| 1988 | 22.5% | +0.1% |
| 1989 | 22.5% | +0.1% |
| 1990 | 22.5% | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 22.5% | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 22.4% | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 22.4% | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 22.4% | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 22.4% | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 22.4% | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 22.4% | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 22.4% | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 22.4% | -0.0% |
| 2000 | 22.4% | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 22.4% | -0.0% |
| 2002 | 22.4% | -0.0% |
| 2003 | 22.4% | -0.0% |
| 2004 | 22.4% | -0.0% |
| 2005 | 22.4% | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 22.4% | -0.0% |
| 2007 | 22.4% | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 22.4% | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 22.5% | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 22.5% | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 22.5% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 22.5% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 22.5% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 22.5% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 22.6% | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 22.6% | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 22.7% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 22.7% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 22.7% | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 22.8% | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 22.8% | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 22.9% | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 22.9% | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 23.0% | +0.3% |
| 2025 | 23.1% | +0.4% |
France compared with similar countries
- France's 23.1% is below the median for high income countries, which is 28.3%, 82% of the median. (40 countries reporting)
- France's 23.1% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 21.8%, 1.1× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 21.7% | 21.2% | 21.9% | 10 |
| 1970s | 22.1% | 21.9% | 22.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 22.3% | 22.2% | 22.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 22.4% | 22.4% | 22.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 22.4% | 22.4% | 22.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 22.6% | 22.5% | 22.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 22.9% | 22.8% | 23.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near France
More climate change data for France
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 2.23 billion kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 55,837 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 11,820 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 44,017 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 44.6 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 1,572 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 16,983 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 16,451 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 532.77 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 62.08 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in France?
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in France was 23.1% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million recorded in France?
- The highest recorded value was 23.1% in 2025.
- What is the lowest population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million recorded in France?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.2% in 1960.
- How does France rank for population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million?
- France ranks 59th out of 121 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million rising or falling in France?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this France data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), published as part of Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Population in urban agglomerations of more than one million is the percentage of a country's population living in metropolitan areas that in 2018 had a population of more than one million people.