Algeria, Morocco, Portugal: where do the immigrants settled in France come from?

The immigrant population in France is reaching a new statistical milestone. According to the annual report published by INSEE last year, the Hexagon now has 7.7 million immigrants, or 11.3% of the total population. Among them, 2.6 million individuals, representing 33% of this group, have obtained French nationality. By definition, these statistics include people born as foreigners abroad and residing on the territory, as distinct from "foreigners" in the strict sense (6 million people, or 8.8% of the population), who do not have French citizenship.

The geographical analysis reveals that Africa remains the main source basin, accounting for 48.9% of immigrants, ahead of Europe (30.9%) and Asia (14.3%). Within this distribution, Algeria is the leading country of birth with 12.4%, followed by Morocco at 11.7% and Portugal at 7.3%. This historical base, complemented by Tunisia, Italy, Turkey and Spain, alone accounts for nearly half of the immigrant population living in France.

In terms of migration flows, the balance remains structurally positive. Between 2006 and 2021, INSEE observes that on average, three people entered the territory for one recorded exit. This dynamic has intensified over the past two decades, contrasting with the stabilization period observed in the late 1990s after the oil crises. Current immigration is thus progressing faster than the rest of the total population.

Finally, the sociological profile of immigrants has profoundly changed compared to the reconstruction waves of the 1940s to 1970s. While flows were previously predominantly male to meet labor needs, women are now in the majority, accounting for 52% of the immigrant population in 2024.