Intramural Paris has been emptied of 11% to 12% of its inhabitants since the start of confinement, and even from 22% to 23% if we take into account those who stay there without residing there, according to a study by the Insee published on Wednesday, based on anonymous data from the Orange telephone network. Between March 9-10-11, on the one hand, and March 23-24-25, on the other hand (i.e. before and after the introduction of containment), the number of people spending the night in Paris fell by '' around 22 to 23%, according to comparisons of statements from Orange telephone terminals - extrapolated to all holders of a mobile phone.
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Two-thirds of this decline is explained by the large number of people who usually stay in Paris without residing there, and who have largely left the capital since the start of the epidemic crisis. These include students - who as telephone subscribers often have an address outside of Paris - but also tourists and other foreign visitors. A third of this drop is however due to the departure of the Parisians themselves, many of whom have joined their second homes, according to INSEE: this situation concerns around 189,000 people, or 11% to 12% of the Parisians who were actually present in Paris just before containment begins.
Compared to before confinement, there are more Parisian residents and inhabitants of Hauts-de-Seine in Normandy, Burgundy, in the Center, in Brittany and in the other departments of the Atlantic coast, their usual areas of secondary residence. . INSEE also reports "a second massive movement of population", linked to "the closure of ski resorts from March 15". Consequence: "the high mountain departments have emptied", with a fall from 38% to 43% of the population recorded at night by the telephone terminals in Savoie, from 26% to 28% in the Hautes-Alpes, or even 8 to 9% in the Hautes-Pyrénées.
Overall, since the start of containment, a larger proportion of the population has been physically located in the department where they usually reside. “In total, there are 1.6 million or 1.7 million more people than before the overnight confinement in his department of residence. Only Paris and the Hauts-de-Seine have a negative balance of residents, ”underline the authors of the study.