France's Immigrant Population: A Deeply Transformed Society
Published on May 21, 2026, by the National Institute for Demographic Studies and the National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies, the unprecedented survey "Trajectoires et origines 2" (TeO2) comprises over 600 pages and brings together the work of dozens of researchers on the topics of immigration, integration, and discrimination in France.
Conducted among over 27,000 people, this survey is considered the largest statistical study ever dedicated to immigrants and their descendants in France.
A France Profoundly Transformed by Immigration
The publication of the TeO2 survey marks a major turning point in the analysis of contemporary French migration realities. Conducted between 2019 and 2020, this study is now the largest statistical survey ever dedicated to immigrants, their descendants, and the mechanisms of discrimination in France.
Beyond the often passionate political debates surrounding immigration, TeO2 provides a detailed scientific radiography of French society. Among the most striking findings is the central place occupied by populations originating from the Maghreb, particularly Tunisians, who represent 36% of the immigrant population in French demographic, social, and cultural dynamics.
According to the survey's results, 13% of people aged 18 to 59 living in metropolitan France are immigrants, while 11% are direct descendants of immigrants. Additionally, 10% of people belong to the third generation, with at least one grandparent who was an immigrant.
In other words, nearly a third of the French population today has a direct link to immigration. This figure reaches 41% when including mixed unions and indirect family ties.
Contrary to Alarmist Discourses, Social and Family Mixing is on the Rise
Contrary to alarmist discourses on a supposed "separatism," the study highlights a strong progression of social and family mixing. Thus, 39% of immigrants live with a spouse of another origin. Among descendants of immigrants, this proportion reaches 59%, while it exceeds 90% among children of mixed couples.
Researchers from TeO2 estimate that cultural and social métissage is now one of the major characteristics of contemporary French society.
The Maghreb at the Heart of Integration Issues
Populations originating from the Maghreb, including Algerians, Moroccans, and Tunisians, occupy a central place in this demographic transformation. Inherited from several decades of labor, study, and family reunification migrations, their presence is now firmly established in French social landscape.
The survey shows that descendants of Maghrebi immigrants exhibit a very strong sense of national belonging. While 71% of immigrants declare feeling French, this rate rises to 94% among descendants of two immigrant parents and 98% among children of mixed couples.
French language plays a crucial role in this integration. According to TeO2, 86% of descendants of two immigrant parents declare having spoken French during their childhood, often alongside their mother tongue.
Tunisians: A Rooted and Influential Diaspora
Within this Maghrebi ensemble, the Tunisian community occupies a particular place due to historical, human, and cultural ties between Tunisia and France.
According to the most recent data from the National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies (Insee), France had over 7.6 million immigrants in 2024, representing approximately 11.2% of the total population.
Among them, regular Tunisian immigrants would be around 347,000, representing nearly 4.8% of the total immigrant population in France.
However, these figures only reflect a part of the reality. Including children and grandchildren born in France, binationals, and several estimates, the number of people with Tunisian ancestry in the Hexagon is estimated to be over one million, or even 1.5 million.
A Real Integration, but Persistent Discriminations
One of the main findings of TeO2 lies in a major paradox: the more descendants of immigrants are culturally integrated, the more they express a strong sensitivity to discrimination.
Populations originating from the Maghreb and sub-Saharan Africa are among the most exposed to employment, housing, education, and administrative-related discriminations.
The study highlights that the observed inequalities do not primarily result from a "lack of integration" but from structural mechanisms of social and racial discrimination.
Researchers also shed light on the administrative precariousness experienced by some immigrants. "Among naturalized individuals, 20% have been without papers at some point in their journey," which illustrates the inconsistencies and delays that sometimes fuel durable fragility situations.
A Scientific Response to Political Fantasies
In a French political context marked by recurrent debates on immigration, TeO2 provides an important scientific counterpoint.
Researchers refute several widely disseminated ideas in the public debate, including the "great replacement" or a supposed generalized retreat of immigrant populations into their communities.
On the contrary, the study shows that social closure is often more marked among populations without a migrant background than among minority groups from immigration.
TeO2 also reveals that immigrants are often more educated than generally thought, and that persistent inequalities are better explained by structural discriminations than by a refusal to integrate.
For the authors of the survey, understanding contemporary French fractures requires moving beyond ideological approaches to rigorous statistical analysis.
