Over two million French citizens live abroad

Half are temporary overseas residents (average stay of four years). In most cases, they are French business executives and technicians, civil servants on overseas assignments and members of humanitarian organizations.

In 2006, their geographic breakdown was as follows:

  50.8% in Europe
  19.5% in America
  14.2% in North Africa & the Middle East
  9.3% in sub-Saharan Africa
  6.3% in Asia & Oceania

The other half are permanent residents including French citizens with dual nationality whose numbers swelled by 87% from 1984 to 2004.