Paris has lost more than 136,000 residents in 11 years as high rents and a shortage of homes drive people from the French capital, new figures show. An ongoing trend since the 1950s, the population decline cannot be explained by demographic factors alone.
A report from the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (Insee), published in December, shows Paris had 2,113,705 residents in January 2022, with the population falling 0.9 percent between 2021 and 2022.
The city lost an average of 12,800 people yearly between 2016 and 2022 – a decline of 0.59 percent.
The 10th and 7th arrondissements saw the sharpest decreases, with drops of 1.8 percent and 1.4 percent, respectively. Only the 2nd, 4th, and 14th arrondissements saw slight population increases.
Insee attributes the decline to a shortage of rental properties, soaring housing costs and a growing desire for better quality of life outside the city.
Alexandra Cordebard, mayor of the 10th arrondissement, said the population drop is tied to “the explosion of vacant homes” rather than property prices.
“Rent controls have been quite effective, helping stabilise rents in many neighbourhoods, but we first need to find properties to rent,” Cordebard told Le Parisien.
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Experts have also pointed to a rise in rarely-used second homes, often owned by wealthy foreigners, and an increase in short-term rentals, such as those listed on Airbnb.
As a result, rents have soared, and the availability of rental units for newcomers has dwindled.
Another factor in the population decline is the prevalence of small apartments in Paris, said Éric Pliez, mayor of the 20th arrondissement.
“In Paris, there are many small apartments. At some point, residents opt for the suburbs,” Pliez said.
