France: from Integration to Segregation

Abstract

It is difficult to estimate how many Muslim origin people reside in France as official surveys on population do not collect reliable data. Until 1872, the population census for France collected data on religious affiliation, whereas the Third Republic considered religious attitudes to be a private matter and stopped collecting data on religious affiliation in the census. It is often said that the Muslim population in France is around 5–6 million. French-Muslims predominantly live in regions where industrial activities and cheap housing are concentrated. Most of the Muslims originating from North African countries and Turkey have settled near their workplaces, and most have been employed in industrial sectors such as car production, construction sites, chemical industry and metallurgical industry. The Muslim population is overrepresented in various parts of the country, namely Alsace, Île-de-France, Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur (PACA), Franche-Comté, Languedoc-Roussillon and Nord-Pas de Calais.