France Administrative Divisions

France is divided into 12 regions (Régions), 5 overseas regions (Régions d’Outre-Mer), 4 overseas collectivities (Collectivités d’Outre-Mer), and 5 other units across 3 types, which form the top-level administrative units. These are subdivided into 96 departments (Départements). At the next level, there are 319 arrondissements. The smallest administrative level consists of 34,825 communes and 1 metropoli (Métropoles). Major regions include Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, Bourgogne-Franche-Comte, and Brittany.

France has 4 administrative levels. Level 1: 12 regions (Régions), 5 overseas regions (Régions d’Outre-Mer), 4 overseas collectivities (Collectivités d’Outre-Mer), and 5 other units across 3 types. Level 2: 96 departments (Départements). Level 3: 319 arrondissements. Level 4: 34,825 communes and 1 metropoli (Métropoles).

France’s administrative system is organized into four main levels: regions, departments, arrondissements, and communes, with communes serving as the smallest administrative units. Metropolitan France consists of thirteen regions, each subdivided into departments, which are further divided into arrondissements and then into communes.

In France, regions and overseas regions both sit at administrative level 1 but serve different functions. Regions (régions) — there are 12 — typically group multiple smaller municipalities under a shared administration. Overseas regions (régions d’outre-mer) — there are 5 — are a larger city or urban area that handle its own administration independently.

French administrative divisions have specific local names at each level. In French, regions are called Régions; overseas regions are called Régions d’Outre-Mer; overseas collectivities are called Collectivités d’Outre-Mer; constituent countries are called Pays constituants; dependencies are called Dépendances; metropolitan collectivities with special status are called Collectivités métropolitaine à statut particulier; departments are called Départements; metropolis are called Métropoles. These local-language terms appear in official documents, legal records, and government databases, so matching them correctly is important for data integration and compliance.

Administrative boundaries in France change as governments reorganize regions, merge municipalities, or create new administrative units to reflect population shifts and political decisions. Changes most commonly affect the communes level, where France currently has 34,826 units. Businesses that rely on French administrative data should use a regularly updated reference dataset to avoid mismatches in geocoding, tax jurisdiction mapping, and compliance reporting.