Overview
- France recorded 651,000 deaths and 645,000 births in 2025, producing a natural balance of −6,000.
- The fertility rate fell to 1.56 children per woman, with births down 2.1% from 2024 and roughly 24% below 2010 levels.
- Deaths rose 1.5% year over year, which INSEE partly attributes to a particularly severe January influenza wave alongside cohort ageing.
- Despite the natural deficit, the population reached 69.1 million on Jan. 1, 2026, supported by an estimated net migration of about +176,000.
- The share of people 65 and over is now 22.2% versus 22.5% under 20, and the earlier-than-projected shift is sharpening debates on pensions, labor supply, and school planning.