Number of live births in France
France: Number of live births was 686,564 births in 2022. ▼ Falling
Latest (2022)
686,564 births
Change on year
down 2.2%
World rank
5th
of 34 countries
All-time high
881,284 births
in 1971
All-time low
686,564 births
in 2022
Years of data
77
1946–2022
Number of live births in France, 1946–2022
Source: Human Fertility Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in births.
Analysis
In 2022, number of live births in France stood at 686,564 births. That is the lowest value across all 77 years on record.
The figure is down 2.2% on the previous year and down 13.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of live births in France peaked at 881,284 births in 1971 and was at its lowest, 686,564 births, in 2022.
That places France 5th out of 34 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 77 years of available data.
Number of live births in France, year by year
| Year | births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1946 | 843,904 births | — |
| 1947 | 870,472 births | +3.1% |
| 1948 | 870,836 births | +0.0% |
| 1949 | 872,661 births | +0.2% |
| 1950 | 862,310 births | -1.2% |
| 1951 | 826,722 births | -4.1% |
| 1952 | 822,204 births | -0.5% |
| 1953 | 804,696 births | -2.1% |
| 1954 | 810,754 births | +0.8% |
| 1955 | 805,917 births | -0.6% |
| 1956 | 806,916 births | +0.1% |
| 1957 | 816,467 births | +1.2% |
| 1958 | 812,215 births | -0.5% |
| 1959 | 829,249 births | +2.1% |
| 1960 | 819,819 births | -1.1% |
| 1961 | 838,633 births | +2.3% |
| 1962 | 832,353 births | -0.7% |
| 1963 | 868,876 births | +4.4% |
| 1964 | 877,804 births | +1.0% |
| 1965 | 865,688 births | -1.4% |
| 1966 | 863,527 births | -0.2% |
| 1967 | 840,568 births | -2.7% |
| 1968 | 835,796 births | -0.6% |
| 1969 | 842,245 births | +0.8% |
| 1970 | 850,381 births | +1.0% |
| 1971 | 881,284 births | +3.6% |
| 1972 | 877,506 births | -0.4% |
| 1973 | 857,186 births | -2.3% |
| 1974 | 801,218 births | -6.5% |
| 1975 | 745,065 births | -7.0% |
| 1976 | 720,395 births | -3.3% |
| 1977 | 744,744 births | +3.4% |
| 1978 | 737,062 births | -1.0% |
| 1979 | 757,354 births | +2.8% |
| 1980 | 800,376 births | +5.7% |
| 1981 | 805,483 births | +0.6% |
| 1982 | 797,223 births | -1.0% |
| 1983 | 748,525 births | -6.1% |
| 1984 | 759,939 births | +1.5% |
| 1985 | 768,431 births | +1.1% |
| 1986 | 778,468 births | +1.3% |
| 1987 | 767,828 births | -1.4% |
| 1988 | 771,268 births | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 765,473 births | -0.8% |
| 1990 | 762,407 births | -0.4% |
| 1991 | 759,056 births | -0.4% |
| 1992 | 743,658 births | -2.0% |
| 1993 | 711,610 births | -4.3% |
| 1994 | 710,993 births | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 729,609 births | +2.6% |
| 1996 | 734,338 births | +0.6% |
| 1997 | 726,768 births | -1.0% |
| 1998 | 738,080 births | +1.6% |
| 1999 | 744,791 births | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 774,782 births | +4.0% |
| 2001 | 770,945 births | -0.5% |
| 2002 | 761,630 births | -1.2% |
| 2003 | 761,464 births | -0.0% |
| 2004 | 767,816 births | +0.8% |
| 2005 | 774,355 births | +0.9% |
| 2006 | 796,896 births | +2.9% |
| 2007 | 785,985 births | -1.4% |
| 2008 | 796,044 births | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 793,420 births | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 802,224 births | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 792,996 births | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 790,290 births | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 781,621 births | -1.1% |
| 2014 | 781,167 births | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 760,421 births | -2.7% |
| 2016 | 744,697 births | -2.1% |
| 2017 | 730,242 births | -1.9% |
| 2018 | 719,737 births | -1.4% |
| 2019 | 714,029 births | -0.8% |
| 2020 | 696,664 births | -2.4% |
| 2021 | 701,819 births | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 686,564 births | -2.2% |
France compared with similar countries
- France's 686,564 births is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 89,018 births, 7.7× the median. (28 countries reporting)
- France's 686,564 births is above the median for high income countries, which is 98,451 births, 7.0× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 864,468 births | 843,904 births | 872,661 births | 4 |
| 1950s | 819,745 births | 804,696 births | 862,310 births | 10 |
| 1960s | 848,531 births | 819,819 births | 877,804 births | 10 |
| 1970s | 797,220 births | 720,395 births | 881,284 births | 10 |
| 1980s | 776,301 births | 748,525 births | 805,483 births | 10 |
| 1990s | 736,131 births | 710,993 births | 762,407 births | 10 |
| 2000s | 778,334 births | 761,464 births | 796,896 births | 10 |
| 2010s | 761,742 births | 714,029 births | 802,224 births | 10 |
| 2020s | 695,016 births | 686,564 births | 701,819 births | 3 |
Countries ranked near France
More population data for France
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.1885 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.028 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -3.58 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.028 % change on previous year (2100)
- 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)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate 0.1075 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.1504 Percent per annum (2030)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of live births in France?
- Number of live births in France was 686,564 births in 2022, according to Human Fertility Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of live births recorded in France?
- The highest recorded value was 881,284 births in 1971.
- What is the lowest number of live births recorded in France?
- The lowest recorded value was 686,564 births in 2022.
- How does France rank for number of live births?
- France ranks 5th out of 34 countries with data for 2022.
- Is number of live births rising or falling in France?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this France data come from?
- The figures come from Human Fertility Database (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of live births. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Total number of live births recorded in a given year.