Pyrénées-Orientales: population, economy and official figures
Pyrénées-Orientales is a department in Occitanie, France. Pyrénées-Orientales had 505,299 residents on 1 January 2025, 8.1% of Occitanie and 0.73% of France; 53rd largest of 101 departments in France.
505,299
123.2
48.8
28.2%
4,107
In depth
- Economy, jobs and prices in Pyrénées-Orientales: GDP per person was 28,100 purchasing power standards (PPS) in 2024, 70% of the EU average (98% for France); 77th highest of 101 departments in France.
- Education in Pyrénées-Orientales: 5,217 pupils in 39 colleges in Pyrénées-Orientales sat the general series of the diplôme national du brevet (DNB) in 2025; 8 of those colleges were private schools under contract, which entered 19% of candidates (France: 22%).
- Poverty and living standards in Pyrénées-Orientales: 22.4% of people in Pyrénées-Orientales lived below the poverty line (60% of the national median living standard) in 2023, 3rd highest of 97 departements; the rate for metropolitan France was 15.9%.
- Government budget and revenue in Pyrénées-Orientales: The departmental council of Pyrénées-Orientales spent €646.60 million in 2025, or €1,291 per resident, 46th lowest of 94 departmental councils (average €1,260).
- Government and politics in Pyrénées-Orientales: Hermeline Malherbe has been president of the departmental council of Pyrénées-Orientales since 1 July 2021, according to the national register of elected officials.
Is the population of Pyrénées-Orientales growing?
That is 7.3% more people than in 2015 (471,038).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow densely populated is Pyrénées-Orientales?
There were 123.2 people per square kilometre in 2024.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the median age in Pyrénées-Orientales?
The median age was 48.8 years in 2025, against 42.8 for France; 26th highest of 101 departments in France.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow old is the population of Pyrénées-Orientales?
28.2% of residents were 65 or older and 15.1% were under 15 in 2025.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many births and deaths are there in Pyrénées-Orientales?
In 2024 there were 4,045 live births and 6,130 deaths, a natural decrease of 2,085.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow big is Pyrénées-Orientales?
It covers 4,107 km².
Source: Eurostat · saved copyAre people moving to Pyrénées-Orientales?
The net migration rate was +12.5 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 Occitanie
- Haute-Garonne 1,503,240
- Hérault 1,253,088
- Gard 781,438
- 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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