Demographic crisis catches up with France as 2025 saw more deaths than births

France recorded more deaths than births in 2025 for the first time since the end of World War Two, a milestone that effectively eliminates the country’s long-standing demographic advantage it held over many other European Union members.

According to figures released this week by the national statistics institute INSEE, France registered 651,000 deaths last year compared with 645,000 births, French media reported. 

Although birth rates have declined sharply worldwide since the COVID-19 pandemic, France had until now fared better than most European countries, in part due to high levels of immigration and comparatively higher birth rates among migrant populations. 

However, INSEE said the fertility rate fell to 1.56 children per woman in 2025, the lowest level since World War One and well below the 1.8 figure used in pension funding projections by the pension advisory council.

In 2023, the most recent year for which comparable EU data is available, France ranked second-highest in the bloc with a fertility rate of 1.65, trailing only Bulgaria at 1.81. The latest figures suggest that France’s demographic position has since weakened significantly.

The national public audit office warned last month that the demographic downturn is likely to push public spending back toward pandemic-era levels in the coming years while simultaneously shrinking the country’s tax base. Aging trends are expected to place additional strain on public finances and social systems.

Experts warn that, given the retirement of the large generations born in the 1960s, labour market tensions and workforce problems are likely to increase rapidly in the coming years. 

Despite deaths outnumbering births, France’s overall population still grew slightly in 2025, reaching 69.1 million. INSEE attributed this increase to net migration, which it estimated at 176,000 people last year, offsetting the natural population decline.

Life expectancy in France also reached record levels in 2025, rising to 85.9 years for women and 80.3 years for men. At the same time, the share of the population aged 65 and over climbed to 22%, nearly matching the proportion of people under the age of 20, underscoring the rapid ageing of French society.

By Nazrin Sadigova