The island's population continues to increase : as of January 1, 2026 according to INSEE, Réunion had 911,000 inhabitants. In ten years, since January 1, 2016, the population increased by 6,8 %, more dynamic growth than that of France (+ 3,6% in the same period).
However, the growth of the population of Reunion Island is lower than between 2006 and 2016 (+ 9,1 %). Over the decade 2016-2026, outside Mayotte, only three regions experienced population growth greater than that of Reunion Island : Guyana, la Corse, and Occitanie. In the West Indies, the number of inhabitants has decreased : – 4,7% in Martinique, and – 2,9% in Guadeloupe. In 2025, 11,790 babies born to mothers living on the island. After three consecutive years of decline, births are stabilizing. This stability of the birth rate is linked to fertility which is maintained in 2025, with a total fertility indicator of 2,14 children per woman. In parallel and in connection with the aging of the population, deaths continue to increase to reach a level never observed since departmentalization (Excluding health crises). So, 6,110 people residing on the island died in 2025, i.e. 280 more than in 2024. Life expectancy rises to 84,5 years for women, and at 78,2 years for men. It is lower than at the hexagonal level.
