Demographics of Paris

Demographics of Paris

The city of Paris had a population of 2,165,423 people as of January 2019. It is surrounded by the Paris urban area, which is the most populous urban area in the European Union most populous urban area in the European Union.

In 2018, the urban area had a population of over 10 million people. The Paris Region, known as Île-de-France, covers a large area and has a population of around 12 million, making up about 18% of France's total population.

Paris once had a population of nearly 3 million in 1921, but the numbers fell for many years. This happened because people moved out to the suburbs, partly due to higher costs and changes in the city. Recently, the population has started to grow again, with more young people and new residents moving in.

Density

Paris is one of the most crowded cities in the world. In 2012, it had more people living in each square kilometre than any other city in the European Union. Many areas around Paris are also very crowded.

In 1999, Paris had about 24,448 people for every square kilometre, which is more than most cities. Some parts of the city, especially in the north and east, have even more people living close together.

Paris agglomeration

The city of Paris is much smaller than the big urban area around it. The urban area of Paris covers 2,845 km² (1,098 sq mi), which is about 27 times larger than the city itself. Managing this growth is shared between Paris and the departments around it. The closest three departments are fully filled with urban growth, while the next four departments are only partly filled. Together, these eight departments make up the Île-de-France region, which had over 12 million people in 2017.

The Paris area has been growing since the late 1500s, with only small pauses during big events like the French Revolution and World War II. In 2017, the Île-de-France region had about 12.2 million people, growing at a rate of 0.3% to 0.9% each year over the past 50 years.

Immigration

French censuses do not ask about ethnicity or religion, but they collect information about where people were born. This shows us that Paris and its surrounding area are very multicultural. In 2011, about 20.3% of people living in Paris city and 17.9% in the larger Paris region were born outside of France.

Immigration to Paris began as early as 1820, with people from Germany arriving due to problems in their country. Over time, many groups came to Paris, including Italians, central European Jews, Russians, Armenians, colonial subjects, Poles, Spaniards, Portuguese, and people from North Africa. Today, Paris remains a place where many people from around the world make their home.

2022 Paris Region (Île-de-France)

Country/territory of birth	Pop.
Algeria	350,939
Morocco	271,884
Portugal	217,280
Tunisia	144,884
Ivory Coast	78,105
Mali	75,435
China	75,175
Senegal	69,709
Turkey	69,281
Italy	58,787
Democratic Republic of Congo	54,091
Romania	53,305
Cameroon	51,111
Sri Lanka	46,621
Congo	46,013
Spain	44,294
Haiti	37,548
Vietnam	36,073
India	33,770
Poland	33,235
Cambodia	29,132
Lebanon	26,183
Republic of Guinea	23,757
Serbia	23,643
Pakistan	22,954
Brazil	22,840
Madagascar	22,791
Russia	20,847
Germany	20,255
United States	18,729
Mauritius	18,617
Colombia	18,123
United Kingdom	17,636
Comoros	16,231
Mauritania	14,306
Belgium	14,242
Japan	10,571
Angola	9,610
Canada	5,600
Switzerland	5,551
Netherlands	4,922
Australia	2,561
Other countries of Africa	129,277
Other Asian countries	119,666
Other European countries	54,047
Other countries in America	40,432
Other EU countries	34,836

Expatriates

Many people from other countries live in the western part of Paris. This area is close to many international schools and the La Défense area.

Many international students in Paris live in a big dormitory called Cité Université Internationale de Paris, located just outside the city.

Ethnic groups

Africans

Main article: Sub-Saharan African community of Paris

Main article: Maghrebian community of Paris

Since 2012, many people with African roots have made Paris their home. These are people born in France to African parents and those who moved from Africa and became French citizens. Most come from places like Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia. Others are from countries such as Burkina Faso, the Congo, Guinea, Mali, and Senegal.

Asians

As of 1998, half of all Asians living in France were in the Île-de-France area. Most of these Asians are ethnic Chinese from different countries.

In 1974, France stopped letting foreign workers enter the country, but the Asian population still grew. In 1975, there were 20,000 Asians in Île-de-France. By 1982, this number rose to 59,000, and in 1990, it reached 108,000.

In France, "Asians" refer to people from the East Asian cultural sphere, not including those from the Indian subcontinent.

Geography of the Asian population

For the whole Île-de-France region, in 1990 there were 108,511 people who were or used to be citizens of Cambodia, China, Laos, Taiwan, and Vietnam. This included 64,361 current citizens and 44,150 former citizens who became French.

In Paris city itself, there were 31,773 people from these countries in 1990: 21,655 current citizens and 10,118 former citizens now French.

In six communes of Marne-la-Vallée in 1990, fewer than 10,000 people were of East or Southeast Asian origin. Lognes had the highest percentage at 26%, followed by Noisiel at 8%, and Noisy-le-Grand and Torcy at around 5-6% each. In 1982, Marne-la-Vallée had 6,000 Asians, about 3-4% of the population, which grew to 9,000 by 1987.

Around 1998, Ivry-sur-Seine and Vitry-sur-Seine together had about 3,600 Asians.

Also around 1998, there were roughly 6,000 East or Southeast Asians in and around Aulnay-sous-Bois, with 3,000 in Aulnay itself. Most were of Cambodian origin, and many were also of Laotian origin. Groups included Khmer people, Lao people, and Overseas Chinese.

Cambodians

In 1990, Paris city had 7,950 Cambodian citizens and 3,279 former Cambodians who became French, totaling 11,229.

In the Île-de-France region that year, there were 26,553 Cambodian citizens and 13,068 former Cambodians now French, totaling 39,421.

Chinese

Main article: Chinese community in Paris

As of 1990, most Asians in the Paris area were ethnic Chinese from various countries. The largest group came from Indochina, with a smaller group from Zhejiang.

Japanese

Main article: Japanese community in Paris

In 2013, there were officially 16,277 Japanese living in Paris.

Laotians

In 1990, Paris city had 2,185 Laotian citizens and 1,376 former Laotians who became French, totaling 3,561.

In the Île-de-France region that year, there were 10,110 Laotian citizens and 8,177 former Laotians now French, totaling 18,287.

Vietnamese

Main article: Vietnamese community in Paris

Before 1975, some Vietnamese came to Paris as students, workers, or government officials. After 1975, more Vietnamese arrived and joined the community that was already there. Many became successful in fields like medicine, science, and computers.

In 1990, Paris city had 3,802 Vietnamese citizens and 4,155 former Vietnamese now French, totaling 7,957.

In the Île-de-France region that year, there were 16,387 Vietnamese citizens and 20,261 former Vietnamese now French, totaling 36,648.

Romani

See also: Deportation of Roma migrants from France

Romani people first arrived in Paris in 1427.

Historical population

The number of people living in Paris has changed a lot over many years. At first, the population grew slowly, but later it grew faster. Before the 1960s, most people lived inside the city limits, and the numbers for the city and nearby areas were almost the same.

Paris became an important part of France’s total population over time. In 1801, about 4.9% of all French people lived in Paris. By 1861, this grew to 8%, and by 1901, it was 11.5%. In 1921, Paris was home to 14.5% of France’s people.