© Holly Mandarich/Unsplash – Zeste de Savoir/Twitter
With a population of 67 million inhabitants spread over an area of 543 940 km², France has an average density of 106 inhabitants per km². However, this average masks varied realities depending on the region because some are not very conducive to urban development.
Paris ahead despite the rents
Paris stands out as one of the most populated cities in the world with a density of 20 545 inhabitants per km². The Parisian suburbs, such as Levallois-Perret, Vincennes and Le Pré-Saint-Gervais, also display exceptional densities and even exceed 24,000 inhabitants per km².
Logically, these urban areas concentrate a large part of the population but also economic activities and public services. Despite the rents which are very high in this area, Paris remains as attractive as ever.
Although the pandemic has pushed many Parisians to leave the capital, this exodus does not seem to have a significant impact on the desertification of rural areas.
Population density © Zeste du Savoir/Moté
Zones without inhabitants per km2 © Zeste du Savoir/Moté
The diagonal of the void
In contrast, a large strip of French territory stretching from the Meuse to the Landes is known as the “diagonal of the void”. As its name suggests, it has a low population density. Although this area is not completely empty of people, some towns are completely abandoned.
For example, in the Meuse department, six towns including Beaumont-en-Verdunois and Fleury-devant-Douaumont no longer have any inhabitants. Their populations completely disappeared during the First World War without ever being replaced.
The mountains and the north-east of France are also home to vast spaces where man is absent from nature. Mountain ranges like the Alps and the Pyrenees offer square kilometers without any human footprint. In the Drôme, two villages – Rochefourchat and La Bâtie-des-Fonds – hold the record for the lowest number of inhabitants, with one and two residents respectively.
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