In 2020, INSEE noted a different evolution of births and deaths in Reunion compared to mainland France and certain overseas departments and regions.. So, births are stable on the island, while they are decreasing significantly in France (-2,3%). As for deaths, their increase is contained in Réunion (+1,8% compared to 2019), while they are increasing sharply at the national level (+9,2%). The increase in deaths on the island is mainly the result of the aging of the population : the large generations of the baby boom of the 1950s have been reaching old ages in recent years. Consequently, the natural balance, difference between births and deaths, decreases for the third consecutive year. It amounts to +8,000 in 2020, i.e. the lowest level since 1951. On the other hand, Reunion fertility remained high in 2020 (2,41 children per woman), and significantly higher than that of the mainland (1,8). After Mayotte and Guyana, it is the highest of the French departments. Finally, life expectancy stabilizes for men (77,3 ans) as for women (84,6 ans). The population of the island was estimated at 857,800 inhabitants as of January 1, 2021..
Stability of births and slight increase in deaths in 2020
