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French Polynesia: cities by population

By James Burfield, SEO consultant, Bath · Page updated · UN World Population Prospects

French Polynesia has a population of 283,076 (UN estimate, 2026), with Papeete as its capital. The 44 largest of its 44 recorded towns and cities, ranked.

+18%
since 2000 (240,337)
+1%
projected by 2050 (284,750)
77
people per km²
19501975200020252050 64k 285k
UN estimates to 2026; the dashed line is the medium-variant projection to 2050, a forecast rather than a measurement. Source: World Population Prospects 2024.
Full UN series, 1950 to 2050
YearPopulation
195064,343
1975134,045
2000240,337
2005259,507
2010270,580
2015277,866
2020279,209
2025282,465
2026283,076
2030 projected285,546
2050 projected284,750

Medium variant. Figures from 2026 onward are projections, not measurements.

Figures are the latest available in GeoNames (CC BY 4.0), which draws on national censuses of varying dates — treat them as recent, not same-year. Country totals are UN World Population Prospects 2024 (medium variant) where the UN lists the country separately; the handful it reports under a parent state keep a GeoNames figure and are marked as such. Sources & method.

Largest cities in French Polynesia

#PlaceRegionPopulation
1FaaaÎles du Vent29,851
2PapeeteÎles du Vent26,357
3PunaauiaÎles du Vent25,750
4PiraeÎles du Vent14,475
5MahinaÎles du Vent14,369
6PaeaÎles du Vent12,084
7PapaoÎles du Vent10,360
8ArueÎles du Vent9,458
9VaitoareAustral Islands5,946
10AfaahitiÎles du Vent5,186
11VaitapeLeeward Islands4,927
12OtutaraÎles du Vent4,609
13PaopaoÎles du Vent4,221
14TaunoaÎles du Vent4,131
15HaapitiÎles du Vent3,959
16UturoaLeeward Islands3,668
17AfareaituÎles du Vent3,213
18TohautuÎles du Vent2,842
19Tiarei2,795
20VairaoÎles du Vent2,423
21TautiraÎles du Vent2,293
22TeavaroÎles du Vent2,289
23FaanuiLeeward Islands2,061
24PueuÎles du Vent1,968
25PapetoaiÎles du Vent1,964
26TevaitoaLeeward Islands1,851
27Hitiaa1,826
28AtuonaMarquesas Islands1,762
29FaoneÎles du Vent1,747
30FareLeeward Islands1,540
31TeahupooÎles du Vent1,422
32AnauLeeward Islands1,412
33TaiohaeMarquesas Islands1,224
34FitiiLeeward Islands1,154
35RikiteaTuamotu-Gambier Islands1,103
36MoeraiAustral Islands1,044
37OtepaTuamotu-Gambier Islands1,009
38Mahaena960
39MatauraAustral Islands913
40VaiaauLeeward Islands782
41AveraAustral Islands711
42AvatoruTuamotu-Gambier Islands700
43HaapuLeeward Islands579
44TukuhoraTuamotu-Gambier Islands530

Twenty years earlier: French Polynesia in the 2005 World Gazetteer — population then 258,290.

Common questions

What is the population of French Polynesia?
French Polynesia has a population of 283,076, the UN World Population Prospects estimate for 2026. The UN's medium-variant projection for 2050 is 284,750 — a forecast, not a measurement.
What is the capital of French Polynesia?
Papeete. The largest place we record there is Faaa, with 29,851 people.

Go deeper

Faaa
The largest place we record in French Polynesia: 29,851 people
French Polynesia in 2005
The World Gazetteer's archive edition: 258,290 then
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