France's foreign population much lower than widely believed: Study

France's national statistics agency INSEE reported Tuesday that foreigners make up just 8.8% of the country's population, about 6 million people, in 2024, a lower share than the European Union average and less alarming than some claims have suggested.

Among these foreigners, around 900,000, mainly minors, were born in France, while the majority, 5.1 million, were born abroad.

This proportion remains below the European average of 9.6%, as well as below the figures recorded in Italy (8.9%), Spain (13.4%), Belgium (13.8%), and Germany (14.5%), INSEE noted, citing data from the European statistical agency Eurostat.

France also has a smaller share of non-European foreigners, 2.3% of its total population, compared to 2.4% in Italy, 5.3% in Germany and 8.4% in Belgium, according to the same source.

"The nationalities of foreigners living in France have diversified over time," the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies observed.

In 1968, nearly three out of four foreigners in France were citizens of another European country, while one in four held African nationality.

By 2024, almost half of the foreigners living in France came from African countries, and about one-third from European countries.

Among foreign nationals residing in France in 2024, 46% hold citizenship from an African country, 35% from a European country and 13% from an Asian country.

In a separate classification specific to France, INSEE focused on immigrants, defined as individuals born foreign in a foreign country. In 2024, France counted 7.7 million immigrants, of whom 2.6 million have since acquired French citizenship.

Since the late 2000s, the annual number of naturalizations among Europeans has significantly declined. The rate, however, remains higher among people from Africa (37%) and Asia (35%).

DailySabah