Editing Lozère (section)

==Demographics==
Population development since 1801:
{{historical populations|align=none|cols=2|percentages=pagr|footnote=Sources:<ref name=splaf>{{Cite web|url=http://splaf.free.fr/48his.html|title=Historique de la Lozère|website=Le SPLAF|access-date=8 July 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4176909?geo=DEP-48|title=Évolution et structure de la population en 2016|publisher=INSEE}}</ref>|graph-pos=bottom
|13=1801|14=126,503|15=1806|16=143,247|17=1821|18=133,934|19=1831|20=140,347|21=1841|22=140,788|23=1851|24=144,705|25=1861|26=137,367|27=1872|28=135,190|29=1881|30=143,565|31=1891|32=135,517|33=1901|34=128,866|35=1911|36=122,738|37=1921|38=108,822|39=1931|40=101,849|41=1936|42=98,480|43=1946|44=90,523|45=1954|46=82,391|47=1962|48=81,868|49=1968|50=77,258|51=1975|52=74,825|53=1982|54=74,294|55=1990|56=72,825|57=1999|58=73,509|59=2006|60=76,806|61=2011|62=77,156|63=2016|64=76,422}}

Lozère is the least populated French department, and the least densely populated in Metropolitan France. Its 2019 population of 76,604 gives it a population density of {{Pop density|76604|5167|km2|prec=1|disp=num}} inhabitants/km<sup>2</sup>. The department boasts a population similar in size to that of the country of [[Andorra]], the neighbouring country that borders to the south. Since the end of the 19th century the department has seen its population decline due to negative migration, the last fifteen years have nevertheless shown a new upward trend. The reasons given for this trend are the quality of the living environment, the improvement of the [[road transport]] and [[communication network]] and to a lesser extent [[heliotropism]]. It is nevertheless an elderly population with high purchasing power. The inhabitants of Lozère are known, in [[French language|French]], as ''Lozériens'' and ''Lozériennes''.<ref>[https://www.habitants.fr/lozere-48 Le nom des habitants du 48 - Lozère], habitants.fr</ref>

The population is concentrated in three main urban centers: [[Mende, Lozère|Mende]], [[Saint-Chély-d'Apcher]] and [[Marvejols]] which together account for a third of the department's population. Some other small centers ([[Langogne]], [[Florac]], [[Aumont-Aubrac]], [[La Canourgue]], etc.) appear as small living areas but are unable to attract young people, including the exodus towards neighboring metropolises ([[Clermont-Ferrand]] in the north, [[Montpellier]] and [[Nîmes]] to the south) is increasingly important.

Because of its low population density, it is considered to fall within the [[empty diagonal]].

===Principal towns===

The most populous commune is [[Mende, Lozère|Mende]], the prefecture. As of 2019, there are 3 communes with more than 3,000 inhabitants:<ref name=pop2019/>

{| class=wikitable
! Commune
! Population (2019)
|-
| [[Mende, Lozère|Mende]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 12,318
|-
| [[Marvejols]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 4,684
|-
| [[Saint-Chély-d'Apcher]]
| style="text-align: center;" | 4,211
|}