The population of “sensitive urban areas”

In 2006, 4.4 million people-7% of the French population-were living in “sensitive urban areas” (zones urbaines sensibles: ZUSs). The total has been decreasing since 1990. There has been little change in the characteristics of ZUS residents since 1999. They are younger than in surrounding urban units, the proportion of immigrants is higher, and the labour-force participation rate and employment rate are lower. Sixty percent of ZUS households are public-housing tenants. Large dwellings are scarcer than elsewhere, while large families are more common. Tenants in ZUS private rental housing move less frequently than inhabitants of other urban sectors.