2017 demographic report Over 67 million inhabitants in France on 1 January 2018
As at 1 January 2018, France was home to 67.2 million inhabitants. Over the course of 2017, the population increased by 233,000, an increase of 0.3%. As in previous years, this increase was due mainly to the natural balance, i.e., the difference between the numbers of births and deaths, although this balance is historically low.
In 2017, 767,000 babies were born in France, or 17,000 fewer than in 2016. This is the third consecutive year of decline. The cyclical fertility indicator also declined for the third year in a row, amounting to 1.88 per woman in 2017 (compared with 1.92 in 2016). However, it remains the highest in Europe.
In 2017, 603,000 people died, or 9,000 more than in 2016. Life expectancy at birth remains stable for women and increased for men. It was 85.3 years for women and 79.5 for men. The gap between women and men therefore continues to decrease.
In 2017, 228,000 weddings were celebrated, 7,000 of which were between people of the same sex. The number of PACS continued to increase in 2016, reaching 192,000.
