PROVENCE-ALPES-CÔTE D'AZUR - Population
Uneven distribution of the population
Four and a half million people live in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur i.e. 7.7% of the population of metropolitan France. The region is the third most populated of France. The population density among the six départements of the region varies from 20 inhabitants/km2 in the département Alpes-de-Haute-Provence to 360 inhabitants/km2 in the département Bouches-du-Rhône.
The population and the economic activity of the region are concentrated around to two urban areas: in the west, around the urban areas of Avignon, Marseille, Aix-en-Provence and Toulon, and in the east along the coast of the Cote d?Azur. There is a big difference between these two areas and the rest of the territory of the region, which has a low population density, is alpine and is endowed with a great variety of protected natural areas.
The three biggest conurbations are in terms of population are Marseille-Aix-en-Provence (30%), Nice (20%) and Toulon (12%).
A positive demographic trend
Because of its geographical situation, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur has been swept by waves of immigration since the beginning of the century, and many of these immigrants have settled in the region. The region remans is very attractive and enjoys sustained population growth. The arrival of new young migrants contributes to holdback the ageing of the population. Between 1990 and 1999 the population of the region grew by an average of 0.63% per year. Most of this is due to migration to the region (+0.44% per year), but the natural demographic balance is also positive (+0.19% per year).
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur has a fairly elderly population. The proportion of the 60s plus age group is 3 points over the national average, accounting for 24% of the region?s population in 1999. The proportion of the population aged less than 25 (29%) is under the national average. As for the rest of the regions of France forecasts indicate that by 2030 the proportion of young people will have diminished and that elderly population will have grown substantially.
The region's traditional popularity for retirement is reflected in a lower-than-average fertility rate and birth rate, and a higher than average mortality rate. In 1999 the fertility index was 174 children for 100 women, compare to the national average of 181 children for 100 women. In 1999 the crude birth rate was 11.8 live births per 1 000 inhabitants compared to the national average of 12.9 live births per 1 000 inhabitants. Compared to 1990 there were 1000 fewer live births in 1999, but in 2000 the number increased by 2.6% to 54 800. In 1999 the infant mortality rate (3.6 deaths of children under 1 year old per 1 000 live births) was below the national average. The crude death rate was above the national average with 10.2 deaths per 1 000 inhabitants, compared to the national average of 9.1.
In 1999 the foreign population accounted for 6.3% of the total population of the region. This is above the national average (5.5%). The majority of the region?s foreign population comes mainly from countries outside the European Union (68%). Compared to the other regions of France, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur had the largest proportion of Tunisians (14%) in its foreign population in 1999.
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