French demographic decline and mortality trends

France is experiencing significant demographic challenges characterized by rising infant mortality and declining birth rates.

Data from Insee indicates that infant mortality rates have risen from a low of 3.5 per 1,000 live births in 2011 to approximately 4.0 in 2025, a trend concentrated within the first 27 days of life. This has placed France behind the European Union average. An Inspection générale des affaires sociales (IGAS) report, which was reportedly delayed in publication for seven months, described the situation as a “considerable excess of neonatal and infant mortality.”

Simultaneously, the nation is facing a historic decline in fertility. The total fertility rate fell to 1.56 in 2025, the lowest level since the end of the First World War. In 2025, births decreased by 24% compared to the 2010 peak, resulting in a negative natural population change for the first time since the Second World War. This shift has prompted political discussions regarding what President Emmanuel Macron has termed a “demographic rearmament.”