Birth rate in France
France: Birth rate was 9.62 births per 1,000 people in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
9.62 births per 1,000 people
Change on year
down 7.3%
World rank
173rd
of 236 countries
All-time high
32.26 births per 1,000 people
in 1819
All-time low
9.62 births per 1,000 people
in 2023
Years of data
208
1816–2023
Birth rate in France, 1816–2023
Source: Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in births per 1,000 people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for birth rate in France is 9.62 births per 1,000 people, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 208 years on record.
That represents a change of down 7.3% on the previous year and down 20.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, birth rate in France peaked at 32.26 births per 1,000 people in 1819 and was at its lowest, 9.62 births per 1,000 people, in 2023.
That places France 173rd out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 208 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1810s | 31.43 births per 1,000 people | 30.02 births per 1,000 people | 32.26 births per 1,000 people | 4 |
| 1820s | 30.6 births per 1,000 people | 29.58 births per 1,000 people | 31.16 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1830s | 29 births per 1,000 people | 27.89 births per 1,000 people | 29.92 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1840s | 27.51 births per 1,000 people | 25.4 births per 1,000 people | 28.43 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1850s | 26.37 births per 1,000 people | 24.95 births per 1,000 people | 27.91 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1860s | 26.37 births per 1,000 people | 25.62 births per 1,000 people | 26.88 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1870s | 25.25 births per 1,000 people | 22.27 births per 1,000 people | 26.35 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1880s | 24.11 births per 1,000 people | 22.95 births per 1,000 people | 24.84 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1890s | 22.2 births per 1,000 people | 21.67 births per 1,000 people | 22.75 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1900s | 21.1 births per 1,000 people | 19.84 births per 1,000 people | 22.41 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1910s | 15.23 births per 1,000 people | 9.62 births per 1,000 people | 19.93 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1920s | 19.47 births per 1,000 people | 17.98 births per 1,000 people | 21.85 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1930s | 16.29 births per 1,000 people | 14.96 births per 1,000 people | 18.4 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1940s | 17.36 births per 1,000 people | 12.85 births per 1,000 people | 21.52 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1950s | 18.97 births per 1,000 people | 18.16 births per 1,000 people | 20.69 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 17.48 births per 1,000 people | 16.61 births per 1,000 people | 18.22 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 15.26 births per 1,000 people | 13.61 births per 1,000 people | 17.17 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 14.11 births per 1,000 people | 13.64 births per 1,000 people | 14.87 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 12.84 births per 1,000 people | 12.42 births per 1,000 people | 13.53 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 12.76 births per 1,000 people | 12.62 births per 1,000 people | 13.13 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.77 births per 1,000 people | 10.83 births per 1,000 people | 12.69 births per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.29 births per 1,000 people | 9.62 births per 1,000 people | 10.63 births per 1,000 people | 4 |
Countries ranked near France
- 170 Uruguay 9.87 births per 1,000 people compare
- 171 United Arab Emirates 9.77 births per 1,000 people compare
- 172 Denmark 9.72 births per 1,000 people compare
- 174 Romania 9.6 births per 1,000 people compare
- 175 Slovakia 9.47 births per 1,000 people compare
- 176 Aruba 9.45 births per 1,000 people compare
More population data for France
- Population growth rate, by level of development -0.0% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 3.16 million people (2100)
- Population density 125.07 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -0.0% (2100)
- Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate 1.61 births per woman (2024)
- Refugees by country of asylum 721,771 people (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception 1.61 births per woman (2024)
- Total fertility rate vs. contraceptive prevalence 1.61 births per woman (2024)
- Natural population growth rate 0.0% (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 1.64 live births per woman (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is birth rate in France?
- Birth rate in France was 9.62 births per 1,000 people in 2023, according to Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest birth rate recorded in France?
- The highest recorded value was 32.26 births per 1,000 people in 1819.
- What is the lowest birth rate recorded in France?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.62 births per 1,000 people in 2023.
- How does France rank for birth rate?
- France ranks 173rd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is birth rate rising or falling in France?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this France data come from?
- The figures come from Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Birth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 208 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The total number of births per 1,000 people in a given year.