Rhône-Alpes has one of the highest birth rates of the regions of the European Union and its net migration rate is positive (the number of people moving into Rhône-Alpes is higher than the number of people leaving). Since 2000, an average of 53,000 people have moved to the region every year. However, it should be noted that close to 70% of the people living in Rhône-Alpes were born in the region.
According to projected figures, Haute-Savoie, Isère and Ain will account for three quarters of the region's population growth in the years ahead.
Above all, the Region attracts young families with children, and young adults who come to pursue their studies or find jobs. The biggest exchanges of population are with the neighbouring regions: 37% of the people arriving in Rhône-Alpes come from Bourgogne, Auvergne, Franche-Comté, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and Languedoc-Roussillon and 48 % of people leaving Rhône-Alpes move to these regions.
Rural communes are home to 14% of the population, with the remaining 86% living in urban zones.