Largest Cities in France

Top 100 cities ranked by largest cities

Largest Cities Smallest Cities Most Dense Least Dense Highest Income Lowest Income Lowest Unemployment Highest Unemployment Lowest Poverty Highest Poverty Highest Rent Lowest Rent Most Educated Youngest Cities Oldest Cities Safest Cities Highest Crime Warmest Cities Coldest Cities Rainiest Cities Driest Cities

All Countries · France

Largest Cities — France

1 Paris 11 2,138,551

2 Marseille 93 877,215

3 Lyon 84 520,774

4 Toulouse 76 511,684

5 Nice 93 342,669

6 Nantes 52 325,070

7 Marne La Vallée 11 318,325

8 Strasbourg 44 274,845

9 Bordeaux 75 265,328

10 Montpellier 76 248,252

11 Lille 32 238,695

12 Rennes 53 227,830

13 Reims 44 196,565

14 Le Havre 28 185,972

15 Cergy-Pontoise 11 183,430

16 Paris 13e Arrondissement 11 177,833

17 Saint-Étienne 84 176,280

18 Toulon 93 168,701

19 Angers 52 168,279

20 Dijon 27 159,941

21 Grenoble 84 158,552

22 Nîmes 76 148,236

23 Clermont-Ferrand 84 147,865

24 Aix-en-Provence 93 146,821

25 Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines 11 146,598

26 Brest 53 144,899

27 Le Mans 52 144,515

28 Paris 11e Arrondissement 11 144,292

29 Amiens 32 143,086

30 Tours 24 141,621

31 Limoges 75 141,176

32 Paris 12e Arrondissement 11 140,311

33 Villeurbanne 84 131,445

34 Besançon 27 128,426

35 Metz 44 123,914

36 Orléans 24 116,344

37 Rouen 28 116,331

38 Mulhouse 44 111,430

39 Montreuil 11 111,240

40 Perpignan 76 110,706

41 Caen 28 110,624

42 Boulogne-Billancourt 11 108,782

43 Nancy 44 105,058

44 Lyon 03 84 102,725

45 Argenteuil 11 101,475

46 Roubaix 32 99,507

47 Tourcoing 32 99,160

48 Saint-Denis 11 96,128

49 Avignon 93 89,769

50 Marseille 13 93 89,316

51 Asnières-sur-Seine 11 86,742

52 Nanterre 11 86,719

53 Lyon 08 84 86,154

54 Poitiers 75 85,960

55 Versailles 11 85,416

56 Courbevoie 11 85,158

57 Créteil 11 84,833

58 Paris 10e Arrondissement 11 83,459

59 Pau 75 82,697

60 Lyon 07 84 82,573

61 Colombes 11 82,300

62 Vitry-sur-Seine 11 81,001

63 Aulnay-sous-Bois 11 80,615

64 Marseille 08 93 78,837

65 Marseille 15 93 77,770

66 Marseille 09 93 76,868

67 La Rochelle 75 76,810

68 Champigny-sur-Marne 11 76,726

69 Rueil-Malmaison 11 76,616

70 Antibes 93 76,393

71 Gare 11 75,580

72 Saint-Maur-des-Fossés 11 75,402

73 Cannes 93 74,545

74 Calais 32 74,433

75 Béziers 76 74,081

76 Dunkerque 32 71,287

77 Aubervilliers 11 70,914

78 Mérignac 75 69,791

79 Bourges 24 67,987

80 Saint-Nazaire 52 67,054

81 Colmar 44 65,405

82 Maison Blanche 11 64,302

83 Valence 84 63,864

84 Quimper 53 63,849

85 Drancy 11 62,488

86 Noisy-le-Grand 11 62,420

87 Villeneuve-d'Ascq 32 62,400

88 La Seyne-sur-Mer 93 62,330

89 Levallois-Perret 11 62,178

90 Picpus 11 61,920

91 Marseille 14 93 61,920

92 Chambéry 84 61,640

93 Issy-les-Moulineaux 11 61,447

94 Neuilly-sur-Seine 11 61,300

95 Troyes 44 60,785

96 Antony 11 59,845

97 La Roche-sur-Yon 52 59,410

98 Marseille 12 93 58,734

99 Lorient 53 58,112

100 Sarcelles 11 57,979

The largest cities in France represent major centers of economic activity, cultural influence, and population growth. Paris leads with a population of 2,138,551, followed by Marseille and Lyon. These cities serve as hubs for employment, education, and innovation, attracting residents from across the country and around the world.

Population size is a key indicator of a city's economic influence and infrastructure capacity. Larger cities typically offer more diverse job markets, extensive public transit systems, and a wider range of cultural amenities. 11 dominates the top 10 with 2 cities on the list, reflecting the state's strong economic pull and quality of life.

While large populations bring economic advantages, they also present challenges including higher costs of living, traffic congestion, and housing affordability concerns. Many of these cities have experienced significant growth over the past decade, driven by job opportunities in technology, healthcare, and professional services.

Did You Know?

1. Paris's population is larger than that of several U.S. states.
2. 11 has 2 cities in the top 10, more than any other state.
3. The 50th largest city still has a population of 89,316 — larger than most cities worldwide.
4. The top 5 cities combined have a population of 4,390,893.

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