Western and southern regions outpace Paris

In the past decade, employment growth in Paris and its surrounding region has been slower than in several other French regions. These other regions are typically in the west and south of France—including Pays de la Loire, Bretagne, Occitanie, and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes—whereas growth in the north and the north east has been more sluggish. Within fast growing regions, Nantes, Bordeaux, Toulouse, and Lyon have been flourishing.

What you will learn:

• Western and southern regions and cities have seen growth in highly productive activities, including professional services, information & communication, and, specifically in Toulouse, manufacturing.
• They have also benefitted from long trend migration towards coastal and/or sunny areas, driven by the desire for a higher quality of life and lower house prices than in Paris. Significant public sector support and investment, targeted on the aeronautics, pharmaceuticals, and ICTs sectors, has also benefitted the south and west.
• Yet, we forecast that Paris and Île de France region will remain the country’s powerhouse, and that more than a third of the additional output created between 2023 and 2030 will take place there. However, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Occitanie are expected to grow faster in GDP terms.