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Real estate: the French are abandoning metropolises for the coasts since the pandemic
In recent years, population movements have been observed towards the coast. The phenomenon was born with the health crisis.
(France 2)
In recent years, population movements have been observed towards the coast. The phenomenon was born with the health crisis.
Leave the interior to get closer to the sea, along the Atlantic, the Mediterranean or the English Channel. Since the pandemic, the French have been moving away from large metropolises and settling on the coast. Nathalie Cron, restaurateur in Saint-Malo (Ille-et-Vilaine), noticed this. “It’s relaxing, we have the sea, and then we’re there to welcome them”, she says. Businesses are rejoicing. Marie Millet, saleswoman, who previously had a rather seasonal clientele, has new regulars. “We have a lot of Parisians. A lot of people who come from Mayenne”she says.
A new fertile crescent
The trend accelerated with the pandemic. Since 2017, the French have moved mainly to reach the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts. According to a study by the Jean Jaurès Foundation, a new fertile crescent is emerging, with dynamic territories whose population is increasing. The countryside in the center of the country is emptying.
Among Our sources
Jean Jaurès Foundation
Hervé Le Bras, demographer
Non-exhaustive list.
