Hérault: population, economy and official figures

Hérault is a department in Occitanie, France. Hérault had 1,253,088 residents on 1 January 2025, 20.2% of Occitanie and 1.82% of France; 18th largest of 101 departments in France.

In depth

• Economy, jobs and prices in Hérault: GDP per person was 34,100 purchasing power standards (PPS) in 2024, 85% of the EU average (98% for France); 32nd highest of 101 departments in France.
• Education in Hérault: 12,421 pupils in 98 colleges in Hérault sat the general series of the diplôme national du brevet (DNB) in 2025; 20 of those colleges were private schools under contract, which entered 16% of candidates (France: 22%).
• Poverty and living standards in Hérault: The poverty rate in Hérault was 21.0% in 2023, 5.1 points higher than the 15.9% rate for metropolitan France and 7th highest of 97 departements.
• Government budget and revenue in Hérault: The departmental council of Hérault spent €1.7 billion in 2025, or €1,372 per resident, 35th highest of 94 departmental councils (average €1,260).
• Government and politics in Hérault: Kléber Mesquida has been president of the departmental council of Hérault since 1 July 2021, according to the national register of elected officials.

Figures 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 Occitanie

• Haute-Garonne 1,503,240
• Gard 781,438
• Pyrénées-Orientales 505,299
• Tarn 400,746
• Aude 381,336
• Aveyron 278,691
• Tarn-et-Garonne 267,166
• Hautes-Pyrénées 232,066
• Gers 192,442
• Lot 177,068
• Ariège 156,586
• Lozère 76,409

Up a level: Occitanie · 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…)

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