One in 10 people in France is an immigrant, according to a recent report by the country’s statistics agency. The study showed that in 2021, almost seven million people, or 10.3 percent of all people in France were immigrants, up from 6.5 percent in 1968. More than a third of immigrants in France had acquired French citizenship. Furthermore, the descendants of immigrants had largely blended into French society, with many having children born in France. The report also highlighted that by the third generation, nine out of ten people had only one or two grandparents who had immigrated to France.
While southern Europeans made up the majority of immigrants half a century ago, the report showed that in 2021, many had come from North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. More than 12 percent of immigrants were born in Algeria and Morocco, while four percent were from Italy and more than three percent were from Turkey. Despite an increase in immigration in recent years, France stands well within the European average, behind Germany and Spain. The study indicated that migration has contributed to the country’s diverse makeup and that the immigrants have largely blended into French society.
