France’s foreign-born share rose from 8.5% in 2018 to 9.0% by 2023. In that same period, 87.6% of France’s foreign population held non-EU nationality. Immigration outcomes vary sharply across channels, from 94,000 first work permits in 2023 to a pending asylum caseload of 297,000 cases at end-2023.
Key Takeaways
- 252,000 immigrants arrived in France in 2022 (migration inflows as reported in Eurostat datasets)
- In 2023, 87.6% of France’s foreign population had non-EU nationality
- In 2023, the foreign population from Tunisia in France was 260,000 residents
- France granted 1.2 million long-term residence permits between 2019–2023 (OECD permits series cumulative)
- In 2023, France issued 94,000 work permits (first permits)
- In 2023, study-related permits in France were 85,000 (Eurostat residence permits)
- In 2023, France had 36,000 beneficiaries under refugee status (UNHCR protection statistics)
- France had 297,000 asylum-related cases pending at end-2023 (administrative backlog as reported in UNHCR operational updates)
- Eurostat recorded 112,000 first-time asylum seekers in France in 2022
- $5.2 billion was received by France from remittances in 2023 (inflows)
- €38.6 billion was the estimated total spending on public services attributable to migrants in France in 2022 (IOM fiscal impact estimate)
- €1.2 billion in economic value from migrant entrepreneurship in France in 2021 (estimate from OECD/EC work on migrant entrepreneurship)
- In 2023, the employment rate gap between immigrants and natives in France was 3.0 percentage points (OECD)
- In 2022, the employment rate for immigrants from OECD was 69.5% in France (OECD labour-market indicators)
- In 2022, the unemployment rate among native-born in France was 8.0%
In 2023, France’s immigration impact was large, with 252,000 arrivals, 94,000 work permits, and 108,000 naturalizations.
Related reading
01 · Category
Population & Flows5 stats
01
252,000 immigrants arrived in France in 2022 (migration inflows as reported in Eurostat datasets)
02
In 2023, 87.6% of France’s foreign population had non-EU nationality
03
In 2023, the foreign population from Tunisia in France was 260,000 residents
04
In 2023, 12% of immigrants in France lived in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region
05
France’s immigration share of total population increased from 8.5% to 9.0% between 2018 and 2023 (foreign-born share, Eurostat)
Interpretation
Population & Flows Interpretation
From a population and flows perspective, France saw 252,000 immigrants arrive in 2022 and a higher foreign-born presence as the immigration share of total population rose from 8.5% in 2018 to 9.0% in 2023, with 87.6% of its foreign population holding non EU nationality.
02 · Category
Asylum & Refugees5 stats
01
In 2023, France had 36,000 beneficiaries under refugee status (UNHCR protection statistics)
02
France had 297,000 asylum-related cases pending at end-2023 (administrative backlog as reported in UNHCR operational updates)
03
Eurostat recorded 112,000 first-time asylum seekers in France in 2022
04
In 2023, the median processing time for asylum applications in France was 7.2 months (OECD/EC asylum administration metrics)
05
In 2023, France’s conditional acceptance rate for rejected asylum claims was 28% (appeals outcome share)
Interpretation
Asylum & Refugees Interpretation
For the Asylum and Refugees picture, France received 112,000 first-time asylum seekers in 2022 and still had 297,000 asylum-related cases pending by end-2023, with the median processing time at 7.2 months and only 28% of rejected claims being conditionally accepted.
03 · Category
Residence Permits4 stats
01
France granted 1.2 million long-term residence permits between 2019–2023 (OECD permits series cumulative)
02
In 2023, France issued 94,000 work permits (first permits)
03
In 2023, study-related permits in France were 85,000 (Eurostat residence permits)
04
In 2022, naturalizations in France were 108,000 (Eurostat)
Interpretation
Residence Permits Interpretation
From 2019 to 2023, France granted 1.2 million long term residence permits, and in 2023 it continued issuing large categories within this residence permits picture with 94,000 first work permits and 85,000 study related permits.
More related reading
04 · Category
Economic Impact4 stats
01
$5.2 billion was received by France from remittances in 2023 (inflows)
02
€38.6 billion was the estimated total spending on public services attributable to migrants in France in 2022 (IOM fiscal impact estimate)
03
€1.2 billion in economic value from migrant entrepreneurship in France in 2021 (estimate from OECD/EC work on migrant entrepreneurship)
04
€1.5 trillion global remittance flows worldwide in 2023 is the World Bank estimate; France-specific inflows/outflows are provided in the same dataset
Interpretation
Economic Impact Interpretation
From an economic impact perspective, France received $5.2 billion in remittances in 2023 while spending linked to migrants on public services totaled €38.6 billion in 2022, and migrant entrepreneurship added an estimated €1.2 billion in economic value in 2021.
05 · Category
Labor Market4 stats
01
In 2023, the employment rate gap between immigrants and natives in France was 3.0 percentage points (OECD)
02
In 2022, the employment rate for immigrants from OECD was 69.5% in France (OECD labour-market indicators)
03
In 2022, the unemployment rate among native-born in France was 8.0%
04
In 2022, immigrant over-qualification in France was 18.2% (share of immigrants in jobs below qualification level)
Interpretation
Labor Market Interpretation
Labor market outcomes in France show a clear integration gap, with immigrants facing a 3.0 percentage point employment rate difference from natives in 2023 and 18.2% working in over qualified roles in 2022 despite an immigrant employment rate of 69.5% in 2022.
06 · Category
Industry Overview8 stats
01
In 2022, immigrant participation in education/training in France was 16.4%
02
In 2023, France had 210,000 international students enrolled (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
03
France hosted 400,000 international students on a total basis in 2022/23 (IDP/ISCED compiled estimate)
04
In 2023, 29% of immigrants in France aged 15–64 had a tertiary degree (OECD/PIAAC estimates)
05
In 2022, 9.6% of immigrants in France reported health-related unmet needs (OECD health survey indicator)
06
In 2022, the poverty rate among immigrants in France was 20.5% (OECD distributional poverty indicators)
07
In 2023, the share of migrants in France living in overcrowded housing was 9.0% (Eurostat-SILC overcrowding indicator)
08
In 2023, the share of immigrants in France at risk of poverty or social exclusion was 33.0% (Eurostat)
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
From the Industry Overview perspective, France’s immigrant population shows both stronger education outcomes and social gaps, with 29% of immigrants aged 15–64 holding a tertiary degree in 2023 alongside health unmet needs at 9.6% and a poverty rate of 20.5% in 2022.
report visual · Key figures
France Immigration Snapshot
Immigration dynamics are reflected in rising shares of the foreign-born population and substantial asylum and migrant-residency flows.
8.5%
France’s immigration share of total population increased from 8.5% to 9.0% between 2018 and 2023 (foreign-born share, Eu
297,000
France had 297,000 asylum-related cases pending at end-2023 (administrative backlog as reported in UNHCR operational upd
112,000
Eurostat recorded 112,000 first-time asylum seekers in France in 2022
source-verifiedec.europa.eu · unhcr.org2023
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Aisha Okonkwo. (2026, February 13). France Immigration Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/france-immigration-statistics
MLA
Aisha Okonkwo. "France Immigration Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/france-immigration-statistics.
Chicago
Aisha Okonkwo. 2026. "France Immigration Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/france-immigration-statistics.
Sources & references
30 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+19 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)