Highlighting sustained migratory pressure, France recorded a historic high in the total number of valid residence permits at the end of 2025, according to official figures released on Tuesday, January 27th.
Data from the interior ministry showed that more than 4.5 million residence permits were valid nationwide by the end of last year, a rise of around 3% compared with 2024.
Family-related migration remained the main reason for permits, accounting for roughly one in three documents, or about 1.5 million.
Foreign nationals with legal status now make up 8.1% of France’s adult population.
The number of first-time residence permits climbed to 384,000 in 2025, up 11% year on year.
Humanitarian grounds recorded the sharpest rise, jumping 65% and adding around 36,000 additional permits.
Renewals also increased, reaching 955,000, with family reasons again dominating.
The figures prompted a strong reaction from Jordan Bardella, leader of the right-wing national conservative Rassemblement National, who accused the government of failing to curb immigration and pledged to “take back control” if his party were elected.
