Due to wars and famine, in France there was always a decline in population. Because of low birth rates and the consequences of the Enlightenment era, population growth was hampered. Thus at the end of the eighteenth century France was the most populated country in Europe with 29.5 million inhabitants. In less than 100 years Germany, Britain and Italy have passed in front of the French population. Currently there are approximately 60 million and the density is 113 inhabitants /square km, which makes France the European country with the densest population.
In this country the birth rate was still a problem in the past. For several decades after 1945 the government policy has encouraged births, which led France in the first place in terms of birth rate. Today, however, the country has come down again in the European league, both at birth and of death.
Number of inhabitants: 61.6 million
Density: 114 inhabitants / km ²
Distribution: 77% urban / 23% rural
Annual growth rate: 0.4%
Life expectancy: 84 years Women / Men 77 years
Religion: Roman Catholic, Muslim
Languages: French (official language), Basque, Breton, Catalan, Corsican, Alsatian
Illiteracy rate: less than 1%