Demographic trends in 2011: fertility still high

On 1 January 2012, 65.35 million people were living in metropolitan France (mainland + Corsica) and in overseas départements excluding Mayotte. In 2011, thanks to the excess of births over deaths more than to net migration, the population grew 0.5% (by 349,000), a pace identical to that of previous years. The number of births, estimated at 827,000, remains high, but is down slightly from its 2010 peak. The total fertility indicator was 2.01 children per woman. The mean age at first childbearing continued to rise, reaching 30.1 years. Average life expectancy at birth was 84.8 years for women and 78.2 years for men. Life expectancy is lengthening at the same pace as in recent years, but population ageing is leading to an increase in the number of deaths, which reached 555,000 in 2011.