France recorded more deaths than births in 2025 for the first time since the end of World War II, according to a report published by the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE).

The statistical office said on Tuesday the number of births was around 6,000 lower than the number of deaths over the year.

An estimated 645,000 babies were born in 2025, down from 660,000 in 2024, a decrease of 2.1%. Compared with 2010, when births last peaked, the number of newborns has fallen by 24%, INSEE said.

Deaths totaled about 651,000 in 2025, marking a 1.5% increase year-on-year. The rise was mainly linked to a severe winter influenza epidemic at the start of the year, the institute noted.

Despite the negative natural balance, France’s population continued to grow slightly, driven by net migration provisionally estimated at 176,000 people in 2025.

As of Jan. 1, 2026, the country’s population stood at approximately 69.1 million, including 66.8 million in metropolitan France and 2.3 million in overseas territories.

INSEE also reported a further decline in the total fertility rate, which fell to 1.56 children per woman in 2025 from 1.61 the previous year, one of the lowest levels recorded since World War I.

Life expectancy at birth edged up to 85.9 years for women and 80.3 years for men, remaining above the European Union average, according to the latest available data. (Anadolu Agency)