Annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants in France

France: Annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants was -0.5% in 2020. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2020)
-0.5%
World rank
126th
of 144 countries
All-time high
1.4%
in 1970
All-time low
-0.5%
in 2020
Years of data
14
1955–2020

Annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants in France, 1955–2020

-0.500.511.51955198720201955: 0.03 %1960: 0.355 %1965: 0.556 %1970: 1.4 %1975: 0.13 %1980: 1 %1985: 0.091 %1990: 0.673 %1995: 0.114 %2000: 0.542 %2005: 0.15 %2010: 0.04 %2015: 0.436 %2020: -0.495 %

Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

France recorded -0.5% for annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 14 years on record.

The figure is down 1,352.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants in France peaked at 1.4% in 1970 and was at its lowest, -0.5%, in 2020.

That places France 126th out of 144 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants in France, year by year

Annual values for Annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants in France, 1955 to 2020.
Year % Change
1955 0.0%
1960 0.4% +1065.2%
1965 0.6% +56.6%
1970 1.4% +149.0%
1975 0.1% -90.6%
1980 1.0% +669.9%
1985 0.1% -90.9%
1990 0.7% +641.9%
1995 0.1% -83.0%
2000 0.5% +374.0%
2005 0.1% -72.4%
2010 0.0% -73.6%
2015 0.4% +1002.7%
2020 -0.5% -213.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 1
1960s 0.5% 0.4% 0.6% 2
1970s 0.8% 0.1% 1.4% 2
1980s 0.5% 0.1% 1.0% 2
1990s 0.4% 0.1% 0.7% 2
2000s 0.3% 0.1% 0.5% 2
2010s 0.2% 0.0% 0.4% 2
2020s -0.5% -0.5% -0.5% 1

Countries ranked near France

  1. 123 Central African Republic -0.4% compare
  2. 124 Sudan -0.5% compare
  3. 125 Uganda -0.5% compare
  4. 127 Senegal -0.6% compare
  5. 128 Slovakia -0.6% compare
  6. 129 Armenia -0.7% compare

See the full ranking of 144 places →

More population data for France

All data for France →

Frequently asked questions

What is annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants in France?
Annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants in France was -0.5% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants recorded in France?
The highest recorded value was 1.4% in 1970.
What is the lowest annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants recorded in France?
The lowest recorded value was -0.5% in 2020.
How does France rank for annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants?
France ranks 126th out of 144 countries with data for 2020.
Is annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants rising or falling in France?
Over the last ten years it is down 1,352.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this France data come from?
The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants in France. Statizoid, drawing on European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 30 August 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/annual-rate-of-change-in-urban-populations/france/

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About this data

Indicator
Annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants
Unit
%
Source
European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
144 places, 1,685 data points, 1955–2020
Last refreshed

Average annual growth in the share of population living in cities with at least 300,000 people, calculated over five-year periods. For example, 2020 reflects average growth between 2015–2020. City boundaries are defined using a consistent global approach based on satellite imagery and population data.