Population balance in 2013 - Three weddings for two PACS

At 1st January 2014, France has 66 million inhabitants in Metropolitan France and the five overseas departments. 63.9 million of them live in Metropolitan France, 1.9 million in the overseas departments excluding Mayotte, and 0.2 million in Mayotte. The population rose by just under 300,000 in the course of 2013; this is the lowest growth level since 2000. The rise was mainly due to the natural increase: 810,000 babies were born and 572,000 people died (excluding Mayotte).Total period fertility dropped slightly but is still one of the highest in Europe. Life expectancy at birth and at 60 continued to rise after a slight decrease in 2012. The gaps between men and women have narrowed. In 2012 two PACS (civil solidarity pacts) were entered into for every three weddings. After falling sharply in in 2011, the number of PACS grew once again to reach 160,200 in 2012. The drop in the number of weddings, which did not progress in 2012, continued in 2013. Around 7000 same-sex weddings were celebrated in 2013, three out of five of them between two men.