How many people live in French Polynesia right now?
Right now, according to UN estimates
283,264
| Today | In 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Births | · | · |
| Deaths | · | · |
| Net migration | · | · |
| Growth | · | · |
2026 figures
- Rank by population
- 186 of 237
- Share of world population
- 0.0034%
- Median age
- 36.7 years
- Children per woman
- 1.47
- Life expectancy
- 84.4 years
- People per km²
- 77
According to UN estimates, about 283,264 people live in French Polynesia right now. It ranks 186th out of 237 countries and territories by population, between New Caledonia and Barbados, and it is home to one in every 29,400 people on the planet.
Every day, about 8 people are born there and about 3 die. More people leave than arrive: net migration reduces the population by about 1,200 people a year. Overall, it gains about 580 people a year.
In 1950, about 64,342 people lived there. Today there are 4.4 times as many. The UN expects it to peak around 2040, at about 289,169, and then begin to fall. By 2050 it is projected to have about 284,750 people (1% more than today), and by 2100 about 186,863.
Half of its people are younger than 37 (worldwide, 31). Women have an average of 1.47 children each, below the 2.1 needed for each generation to replace the one before, and life expectancy at birth is 84 years (worldwide, 74). There are 77 people per square kilometer.
UN estimates up to today and projections (medium variant) from today onward.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the population of French Polynesia in 2026?
- French Polynesia has about 283,264 people right now, according to the UN's World Population Prospects 2024. On July 1, 2026, there were 283,076.
- How many people are born each day in French Polynesia?
- About 8 a day (2,900 a year). About 3 people die each day (1,200 a year).
- Is the population of French Polynesia growing?
- Yes: it grows by 0.21% a year, or about 580 people.
- What will the population of French Polynesia be in 2050?
- According to the UN projection (medium variant), about 284,750, with a peak around 2040 at about 289,169.
- Why doesn't this figure match the country's official statistics?
- The UN estimates the population of every country with the same method, based on censuses, surveys and registers, and projects it year by year. Each national statistics office uses its own censuses and registers, which may be more up to date or count foreign residents differently. That is why the figures can differ slightly.
Countries with a similar population
- Martinique 336,878
- French Guiana 320,556
- New Caledonia 298,674
- Barbados 282,744
- São Tomé and Príncipe 246,502
- Samoa 220,922
More countries in Oceania
- Australia 27,305,105
- Papua New Guinea 11,005,587
- New Zealand 5,298,027
- Fiji 938,560
- Solomon Islands 864,512
- Vanuatu 344,891
- New Caledonia 298,674
- Samoa 220,922
- Guam 170,549
- Kiribati 139,061
- Micronesia 114,346
- Tonga 103,166
All countries and territories →
Where these figures come from
The figures are estimates from the United Nations Population Division, published in World Population Prospects 2024 (medium variant): the reference used by international organizations and by most population counters. The UN estimates how many people there are on July 1 of each year and how many are born, die and migrate; between one date and the next, this counter spreads the change continuously, second by second.
It is not a real-time headcount: nobody can count every person in a country at once. It is the best available estimate, and it may differ slightly from the figures of each country's statistics office, which use their own censuses and population registers.