Rhône: population, economy and official figures
Rhône is a department in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France. Rhône had 1,929,521 residents on 1 January 2025, 23.3% of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and 2.80% of France; 4th largest of 101 departments in France.
In depth
- Economy, jobs and prices in Rhône: GDP per person was 53,100 purchasing power standards (PPS) in 2024, 133% of the EU average (98% for France); 3rd highest of 101 departments in France.
- Education in Rhône: 21,616 pupils in 171 colleges in Rhône sat the general series of the diplôme national du brevet (DNB) in 2025; 55 of those colleges were private schools under contract, which entered 34% of candidates (France: 22%).
- Poverty and living standards in Rhône: 16.3% of people in Rhône lived below the poverty line (60% of the national median living standard) in 2023, 37th highest of 97 departements; the rate for metropolitan France was 15.9%.
- Government budget and revenue in Rhône: The Rhône departmental council (whose territory has excluded the Lyon Metropolis since 2015) spent €545.14 million in 2025, or €1,105 per resident, 14th lowest of 94 departmental councils (average €1,260).
- Government and politics in Rhône: Christophe Guilloteau has been president of the departmental council of Rhône since 1 July 2021, according to the national register of elected officials.
Is the population of Rhône growing?
That is 5.9% more people than in 2015 (1,821,995).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow densely populated is Rhône?
There were 596.6 people per square kilometre in 2024.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the median age in Rhône?
The median age was 38.5 years in 2025, against 42.8 for France; 95th highest of 101 departments in France.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow old is the population of Rhône?
18.2% of residents were 65 or older and 17.0% were under 15 in 2025.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many births and deaths are there in Rhône?
In 2024 there were 21,420 live births and 13,529 deaths, a natural increase of 7,891.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow big is Rhône?
It covers 3,259 km².
Source: Eurostat · saved copyAre people moving to Rhône?
The net migration rate was -0.3 per 1,000 residents in 2024, while births minus deaths gave a natural change of +4.1 per 1,000.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyFigures come from France's own official statistics and from Eurostat's regional statistics for NUTS 3 areas. Comparisons with the EU average use purchasing power standards (PPS), which adjust for price differences.
Other departments in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
- Isère 1,310,648
- Haute-Savoie 876,224
- Loire 776,329
- Ain 692,166
- Puy-de-Dôme 664,318
- Drôme 527,156
- Savoie 452,844
- Ardèche 336,759
- Allier 331,209
- Haute-Loire 229,071
- Cantal 143,843
Up a level: Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes · all regions of France · how local power works in France
Sources
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_pjangrp3: Population on 1 January (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 4c748d3cba3a…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_d3dens: Population density, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 f4b59fe9d121…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3gdp: GDP per person, PPS (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 3bf0fc662f56…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3gdp: GDP, million euros (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 096e15e5fdb3…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3empers: Employment, thousand people (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 664e4e3a6dc0…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_pjanind3: Median age of the population (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 7bf6ade55a0d…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_pjanind3: Share of people aged 65 or over (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 17aa0d08ab9c…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_fagec3: Live births (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 cfda9b5f4ebd…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset reg_area3: Area, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 75302b0aafe9…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3empers: Employment (thousand persons) by NUTS 3 region and industry, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 222a97c302d3…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3gva: Gross value added at basic prices by NUTS 3 region and industry, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 c656e8563bdf…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_gind3: Population change: demographic balance and crude rates by NUTS 3 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 7548e948e15c…)
- Ministère de l'Éducation nationale, DEPP: Indicateurs de valeur ajoutée des collèges, sessions 2024 and 2025 of the diplôme national du brevet, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 4022d6fb202a…)
- Ministère de l'Intérieur, Service statistique ministériel de la sécurité intérieure (SSMSI): Base statistique départementale de la délinquance enregistrée par la police et la gendarmerie nationales, 2016-2025, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 05fd70cbfe72…)
- INSEE: Indicateurs sur les revenus et la pauvreté au niveau local en 2023 (Filosofi 2023, base FILOSOFI_CC), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 f3822a78e3f5…)
- Ministère de l'Intérieur: Répertoire national des élus: conseillers départementaux (mise à jour du 11 août 2026), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 7af7a47ebab9…)
- Observatoire des finances et de la gestion publique locales (OFGL), from DGFiP accounts: Comptes des départements 2012-2025 (budgets principaux, 2019-2025 extract), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 3c1b2d8de45d…)
Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.