Western and southern France dominate ranking of healthiest places to live
A new study has ranked towns and cities in western and southern France among the healthiest places to live in the country.
A new nationwide study has identified western and southern France as home to many of the country's healthiest places to live, with strong healthcare provision, lower pollution levels and high quality of life helping several towns and cities top the rankings.
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The survey, published by Le Figaro Santé, assessed 988 mainland French municipalities with populations of more than 10,000 using 43 indicators, including air pollution, access to healthcare, chronic disease rates, life expectancy and overall living conditions.
Among cities with more than 50,000 residents, Bayonne was ranked France's healthiest place to live.
Vannes, Pau, Cholet, Angers and Montauban also featured prominently, with researchers noting that many successful locations combine easy access to medical services with lower levels of traffic and pollution than major metropolitan centres.
In the medium-sized town category, Saint-Jean-de-Luz topped the rankings, while several other municipalities in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department - including Oloron-Sainte-Marie, Orthez, Biarritz and Anglet - also placed in the top 20.
The study found that neither urban nor rural living is inherently healthier.
While large cities can suffer from traffic-related pollution, rural areas may face environmental challenges linked to agriculture, such as pesticide use and airborne pollutants.
Access to healthcare also remains a significant advantage for larger towns and cities, where hospitals and specialist services are generally more readily available.
The findings reinforce France's reputation as one of Europe's healthiest countries, with life expectancy remaining above the EU average and the number of centenarians continuing to rise.