MIDI-PYRÉNÉES - Population
An urban centre with outlying districts
The region is sparsely inhabited and the population not evenly distributed. In 1999, the population density was 56 inhabitants/km2 nearly half the national average. The region is positioned 20th in terms of population density out of the 26 regions of France.
A century of rural exodus from 1850 to 1950, followed by a partial revival of urban activity in the second half of the twentieth century, caused tremendous upheavals in the region. Nowadays, the only major city, Toulouse, and its conurbation have a population of 761 090 (in 1999). The rapid development of the Toulouse conurbation, where 30% of the population of the region lives, gives a very lively and modern picture of the Midi-Pyrénées. But the region also has vast rural areas with a sparse, ageing population and traditional and limited economic activity.
This imbalance gives rise to the dual image of Midi-Pyrénées. The central part of the region, dominated by Toulouse, has the appearance of a massive urban area as a result of both the activity that is carried out there and the essentially suburban housing. On the other hand, the outlying districts still have a very rural aspect, with a fairly dense scattering of market-towns forming an integral part of rural life. However, this rural appearance is sometimes altered by the occasional industry with limited local influence.
Population growing due to newcomers to the region
The population of the region continues to grow, with more than 2.5 million inhabitants in 1999, 120 000 more than in 1990. Between 1990 and 1999 the population of Midi-Pyrénées grew by an average of 0.55% per year. Demographic growth is fuelled almost exclusively (91%) by migration. Regarding interregional migration among the 22 regions of metropolitan France, Midi-Pyrénées had the second highest net immigration rate with 47 more arrivals per 10 000 inhabitants than departures.
Five of the eight regions experienced a positive annual average growth rate between 1990 and 1999. The département Haute-Garonne, with more than one million inhabitants, has both a natural and migratory surplus. The migration balance is positive in all the other départements of the region, but the natural demographic rate is negative, except for Tarn-et-Garonne.
The population is aging. The proportion of 60 plus age band is larger than that of the less than 20 years of age group in most of the départements. The proportion of the 60s plus age group is over the national average, accounting for 25% of the region?s population in 1999. The share of the population under 25 years olds (28%) is under the national average.
The age structure is reflected in the fertility, and birth and mortality rates. The fertility rate in 1999 was well below the national average with 159 children per 100 women; this means 20 children less than national average of the metropolitan. In 1999 the crude birth rate was 10.8 live births per 1 000 inhabitants compared to the national average of 12.9 live births per 1 000 inhabitants. The infant mortality rate (3.8 deaths of children under 1 year old per 1 000 live births) is below the national average. The crude death rate is above the national average with 10.3 deaths per 1 000 inhabitants, compared to the national average of 9.1.
In 1999 the foreign population accounted for 3.9% of the total population of the region. This is below the national average (5.5%). The foreign population comes mainly from countries of the European Union (51.4%); this percentage is much higher than the average for the provinces (39.2%).
Looking to the future, the population forecast for the region is that there will be 3 million inhabitants of which half will live in Haute-Garonne.
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