Demographics of Paris

The population of the city of Paris at the 1999 census was 2,125,246. This is a number far below its 1921 historical peak of 2.9 million: from this time when Paris enjoyed a role as France’s productive leader as well as economic pole, it has undergone a period of disindustrialisation and a loss of many of its living spaces for offices - although not to a scale seen during the same era in many other western cities. This ‘de-habitation’ tendency is seen as negative for Paris, and its current administration is trying to reverse it, and with some success, as the July 2004 population estimate shows Paris having an increase in population for the first time since 1954.

Paris’ density is nearly as high as New York City’s Manhattan island, yet it has none of the skyscrapers of the latter metropolis: unlike its western counterpart, whose daytime frequentation is mostly workers commuting from the suburbs, Paris has remained a largely residential city and has maintained a relatively balanced distribution of apartment residences, office spaces and commercial activities catering to both.

Paris within its administrative limits is much smaller than its actual growth as an agglomeration: at present, the city’s urban area overflows its neighbouring three departements (also known as its petite couronne (smaller crown)) and extends into its Ile-de-France region’s four outer grande couronne (greater crown) departements.

Paris’ most sparsely populated quarters are its monument-heavy and administration-charged 1st and 7th arrondissements, and the office-dominated 8th arrondissement. The city is at its densest in its northern and eastern arrondissements; its 11th arrondissement had a density of 40,672 inh. per km² (105,339 inh. per sq. mile) in 1999, and some of the same’s eastern quarters showed densities close to 100,000 inh. per km² (260,000 inh. per sq. mile) the same year.

The Paris region is one of the most multi-cultural in Europe, with 19.4% of its total population born outside of metropolitan France. As of 1999, 4.2% of those living within the Paris region were recent migrants (post-1990 census arrivals) in their majority from mainland China and Africa.

Museification

Paris’ historical importance has in some ways inhibited its growth. Conservative building codes limit the appearance of any new large-scale or innovative edifices within city limits, so recently, for want of space, many of Paris’ institutions and arenas of communal activity have been relocating to the suburbs. Paris’ financial (La Defense) business district has been growing to the west of the capital since the 1960’s, the wholesale produce and meat market has relocated to south-eastern (Rungis) in the 1970’s, and since many major renowned schools (Ecole Polytechnique, HEC, ESSEC, INSEAD, etc.), world famous research laboratories (in Saclay or Evry) have found base or relocated well away from France’s capital. Should this trend continue, Paris’ may lose some of its importance to the more dynamic development of its suburbs.