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Largest cities in France, 1975 to 2050

Paris leads France with 9.38 million people in 2025, ahead of Lyon at 1.20 million in the UN city ranking.

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What the data shows

  • In 2025, Paris ranks #1 with 9.38M, ahead of Lyon (1.20M) and Lille (0.89M).
  • By 2050, on the UN's projections, Paris is projected to rank #1 with 9.33M, ahead of Lyon (1.27M) and Marseille (0.98M).
  • Paris holds #1 for the whole period, 1975 to 2025.
  • Biggest climber: Toulouse, from #11 in 1975 to #5 in 2050.

About this chart

Paris stands well above the other cities in France: its 9.38 million people in 2025 are about 7.82 times the 1.20 million in second-place Lyon. Paris also led the 1975 ranking, when the UN series put it at 7.42 million. Lille occupies third place in 2025 at 0.89 million. These are populations of urban areas defined consistently by the UN, rather than administrative city limits.

The UN projects Paris to lead in 2050 at 9.33 million people. The figures after 2025 are projections. The Degree of Urbanization identifies contiguous dense settlements, so these totals can differ from municipal and metropolitan statistics. The historical ranking is useful for comparing positions; changing settlement boundaries mean it should not be treated as a measure of growth within fixed city limits.

The data

Source: UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects: The 2025 Revision (File 21), city population, millions, 1975–2050 (projected after 2025). Retrieved November 5, 2026. Cities as defined by the Degree of Urbanization (contiguous dense areas), so figures differ from city-proper or metro counts. Blank cells indicate that the source supplies no city value for that year, not zero population.

Largest cities in France, Population in millions, 1975–2050; projected after 2025, 1975–2050
Date🇫🇷 Paris🇫🇷 Lyon🇫🇷 Lille🇫🇷 Marseille🇫🇷 Bordeaux🇫🇷 Nice🇫🇷 Nantes🇫🇷 Strasbourg🇫🇷 Rouen🇫🇷 Grenoble🇫🇷 Toulouse
19757.42M0.83M0.81M0.70M0.43M0.35M0.35M0.33M0.30M0.28M0.26M
19767.44M0.85M0.81M0.71M0.43M0.35M0.35M0.33M0.30M0.29M0.26M
19777.45M0.86M0.82M0.73M0.44M0.36M0.35M0.33M0.30M0.29M0.26M
19787.47M0.87M0.82M0.74M0.44M0.36M0.35M0.33M0.30M0.30M0.26M
19797.48M0.88M0.82M0.75M0.44M0.36M0.35M0.33M0.30M0.30M0.26M
19807.49M0.89M0.82M0.77M0.44M0.36M0.34M0.33M0.30M0.31M0.26M
19817.54M0.90M0.83M0.77M0.44M0.37M0.35M0.33M0.31M0.31M0.27M
19827.59M0.91M0.83M0.78M0.45M0.37M0.35M0.33M0.31M0.31M0.28M
19837.64M0.92M0.83M0.78M0.45M0.38M0.35M0.33M0.31M0.32M0.28M
19847.69M0.92M0.84M0.79M0.45M0.38M0.35M0.33M0.31M0.32M0.29M
19857.74M0.93M0.84M0.79M0.46M0.39M0.35M0.33M0.31M0.32M0.30M
19867.80M0.93M0.84M0.79M0.46M0.40M0.35M0.33M0.31M0.32M0.31M
19877.87M0.94M0.84M0.79M0.46M0.40M0.36M0.34M0.31M0.32M0.32M
19887.93M0.94M0.85M0.79M0.47M0.41M0.36M0.34M0.31M0.32M0.33M
19897.99M0.95M0.85M0.80M0.47M0.41M0.36M0.34M0.31M0.32M0.34M
19908.06M0.95M0.85M0.80M0.48M0.42M0.36M0.34M0.31M0.32M0.35M
19918.09M0.96M0.85M0.80M0.48M0.42M0.37M0.34M0.31M0.32M0.36M
19928.12M0.97M0.85M0.80M0.49M0.42M0.37M0.35M0.31M0.33M0.37M
19938.16M0.98M0.86M0.81M0.49M0.42M0.38M0.35M0.31M0.33M0.38M
19948.19M0.98M0.86M0.81M0.50M0.42M0.38M0.35M0.31M0.33M0.39M
19958.22M0.99M0.86M0.81M0.50M0.43M0.39M0.36M0.31M0.34M0.39M
19968.26M1.00M0.86M0.81M0.51M0.43M0.39M0.36M0.31M0.34M0.41M
19978.29M1.00M0.86M0.82M0.51M0.43M0.39M0.36M0.31M0.34M0.43M
19988.32M1.01M0.86M0.82M0.51M0.43M0.39M0.37M0.31M0.34M0.45M
19998.35M1.02M0.86M0.82M0.51M0.43M0.39M0.37M0.31M0.34M0.47M
20008.39M1.02M0.86M0.83M0.52M0.43M0.40M0.37M0.31M0.34M0.49M
20018.46M1.03M0.87M0.83M0.52M0.43M0.40M0.37M0.31M0.34M0.50M
20028.53M1.04M0.87M0.84M0.52M0.43M0.40M0.37M0.31M0.34M0.50M
20038.61M1.05M0.88M0.85M0.53M0.44M0.40M0.38M0.31M0.35M0.51M
20048.68M1.06M0.88M0.85M0.53M0.44M0.40M0.38M0.31M0.35M0.52M
20058.76M1.07M0.88M0.86M0.53M0.45M0.40M0.38M0.31M0.35M0.52M
20068.81M1.08M0.88M0.86M0.54M0.44M0.41M0.38M0.31M0.35M0.53M
20078.87M1.08M0.88M0.86M0.55M0.44M0.41M0.38M0.32M0.35M0.54M
20088.92M1.09M0.89M0.87M0.56M0.44M0.41M0.38M0.32M0.34M0.54M
20098.98M1.10M0.89M0.87M0.57M0.44M0.41M0.39M0.32M0.34M0.55M
20109.03M1.10M0.89M0.87M0.58M0.44M0.41M0.39M0.32M0.34M0.55M
20119.08M1.11M0.89M0.88M0.58M0.44M0.41M0.39M0.32M0.35M0.56M
20129.13M1.12M0.89M0.88M0.59M0.43M0.42M0.39M0.32M0.35M0.57M
20139.18M1.13M0.90M0.88M0.59M0.43M0.42M0.39M0.32M0.35M0.58M
20149.22M1.14M0.90M0.88M0.60M0.43M0.43M0.40M0.32M0.35M0.59M
20159.27M1.15M0.90M0.88M0.60M0.43M0.43M0.40M0.32M0.35M0.60M
20169.29M1.15M0.90M0.88M0.61M0.42M0.43M0.40M0.32M0.35M0.60M
20179.30M1.16M0.90M0.88M0.61M0.42M0.43M0.40M0.31M0.35M0.60M
20189.32M1.16M0.90M0.88M0.61M0.42M0.44M0.40M0.31M0.35M0.61M
20199.33M1.16M0.90M0.88M0.62M0.41M0.44M0.40M0.31M0.35M0.61M
20209.35M1.17M0.90M0.88M0.62M0.41M0.44M0.40M0.31M0.35M0.62M
20219.35M1.18M0.90M0.88M0.62M0.41M0.44M0.40M0.31M0.35M0.62M
20229.36M1.18M0.90M0.88M0.62M0.41M0.45M0.40M0.31M0.35M0.63M
20239.37M1.19M0.90M0.89M0.63M0.41M0.45M0.40M0.31M0.36M0.63M
20249.37M1.20M0.90M0.89M0.63M0.42M0.45M0.40M0.31M0.36M0.64M
20259.38M1.20M0.89M0.89M0.63M0.42M0.45M0.40M0.31M0.36M0.64M
20269.38M1.21M0.89M0.90M0.63M0.42M0.45M0.40M0.31M0.36M0.64M
20279.38M1.21M0.89M0.91M0.64M0.42M0.46M0.40M0.31M0.36M0.65M
20289.38M1.21M0.89M0.93M0.64M0.42M0.46M0.40M0.32M0.36M0.65M
20299.38M1.21M0.88M0.94M0.64M0.42M0.46M0.40M0.32M0.36M0.65M
20309.38M1.22M0.88M0.95M0.64M0.42M0.46M0.40M0.32M0.36M0.65M
20319.38M1.22M0.88M0.95M0.64M0.43M0.46M0.40M0.32M0.37M0.66M
20329.38M1.22M0.88M0.96M0.65M0.43M0.46M0.40M0.32M0.37M0.67M
20339.38M1.22M0.88M0.96M0.65M0.43M0.46M0.40M0.32M0.37M0.68M
20349.38M1.23M0.88M0.96M0.65M0.43M0.46M0.40M0.32M0.37M0.69M
20359.38M1.23M0.87M0.96M0.65M0.43M0.46M0.40M0.32M0.37M0.69M
20369.37M1.23M0.87M0.96M0.65M0.43M0.47M0.40M0.32M0.37M0.70M
20379.37M1.24M0.87M0.97M0.65M0.44M0.47M0.40M0.32M0.37M0.70M
20389.37M1.24M0.87M0.97M0.66M0.44M0.47M0.40M0.32M0.37M0.70M
20399.37M1.25M0.87M0.97M0.66M0.44M0.47M0.40M0.32M0.37M0.70M
20409.37M1.25M0.86M0.97M0.66M0.44M0.47M0.39M0.32M0.37M0.71M
20419.37M1.26M0.86M0.97M0.66M0.45M0.47M0.39M0.32M0.37M0.71M
20429.37M1.26M0.86M0.97M0.66M0.45M0.47M0.39M0.32M0.37M0.71M
20439.37M1.26M0.86M0.98M0.67M0.45M0.47M0.39M0.32M0.37M0.72M
20449.37M1.27M0.86M0.98M0.67M0.45M0.47M0.39M0.32M0.38M0.72M
20459.36M1.27M0.86M0.98M0.67M0.45M0.47M0.39M0.32M0.38M0.72M
20469.36M1.27M0.85M0.98M0.67M0.45M0.47M0.39M0.32M0.38M0.72M
20479.35M1.27M0.85M0.98M0.67M0.45M0.48M0.39M0.32M0.38M0.72M
20489.34M1.27M0.85M0.98M0.67M0.45M0.48M0.39M0.32M0.38M0.73M
20499.33M1.27M0.85M0.98M0.67M0.45M0.48M0.39M0.32M0.38M0.73M
20509.33M1.27M0.84M0.98M0.67M0.45M0.48M0.39M0.32M0.38M0.73M

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Frequently asked questions

What is the largest city in France?

Paris is the largest city in France in the UN 2025 series, with about 9.38 million people. Lyon follows at 1.20 million. These figures use the UN Degree of Urbanization definition, not municipal boundaries.

Which city is projected to be largest in France in 2050?

The UN projects Paris to rank first in 2050, with about 9.33 million people. This is a projection, not an observed population count.

Was Paris also the largest city in 1975?

The 1975 ranking was led by Paris, with 7.42 million people. The table preserves every city that reached the top ten in any year shown, including cities outside the top ten today.

Where does this data come from?

UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects: The 2025 Revision (File 21), city population, millions, 1975–2050 (projected after 2025). Retrieved November 5, 2026. Cities as defined by the Degree of Urbanization (contiguous dense areas), so figures differ from city-proper or metro counts. Blank cells indicate that the source supplies no city value for that year, not zero population. You can download the full table as a CSV from this page.

Can I turn this chart into a video?

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