THRIVING ECONOMIC HUB
AN INTERNATIONAL AND ACCESSIBLE CITY IN THE HEART OF EUROPE
Toulouse is the 1st French metropolis for economic growth, demographic evolution, job creation and investment in R&D.
1.31.3 million inhabitants
4th urban area in France
+2.9%economic growth
GPD/inhabitant annually per year of GDP / inhabitant - 1st city in France
12.7%population growth
in 10 years - 1st city in France
Toulouse is a vibrant and inspirational metropolis
Vibrant and friendly city, Toulouse is the 2nd largest university in France voted best French student city. European capital of space, world capital of aeronautics, Toulouse offer a dynamic ecosystem conductive to the creation of statups.
Some records:
- World capital of aeronautics
- European capital of the space industry
- Toulouse plays a key role in international space projects such as Galileo, Curiosity (Mars) or Philae...
- 25% of population are students
- 8 local researchers ranked as world’s most influential scientists; more than double that of rankings found in other cities in the region
- Shanghai Ranking - 19th Economic University in the world in 2023
Other important facts:
- Jean Tirole, laureate of the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel in 2014
- 3 UNESCO World Heritage sites
1st French metropolis for
- Economic growth: +2,9%/year in GDP per capita – in Europe’s top 10 urban areas (of more than 1m people (400 in Europe), Eurostat Urban Europe)
- Demographic growth:
- 1,3m population – 4th French urban area
- +200 000 people in 10 years – in Europe’s top 10 urban areas (Eurostat Urban Europe)
- Job creation: +70 000 employees in the private sector in 10 years
- First region for the share of GDP devoted to R&D (3.7%)
- Having 14 competitiveness clusters, the region counts more than any other in France (Insee)
- Balance of trade: +€7,07bn.
- Employee and worker satisfaction
- Top 2 french city favoured for start-up creations
The Toulouse-Paris flight is the most frequented in Europe with 2.3M passengers/year
An international airport
- Only 7km away from the city center
- Highest rated French airport on flight-report.com (8,1/10) and the only French airport in the Top 20 worldwide
- 7,03m passengers in 2022
- 16 new routes (5 Ryanair routes)
- 82 destinations (of which 80% are international),
- Number of daily direct flights to European major cities:
- Paris: 30
- London: 7
- Montreal: 4
- Brussels: 3
- Amsterdam: 3
- Munich: 3
- Madrid: 1
- Francfort: 3
Toulouse, France’s city with the most job creations
In terms of job creation and according to the national investment observatory Trendeo
Toulouse in France’s top 3 cities for:
- Number of startups created : Toulouse 2nd
- Number of fundraising: Toulouse 3rd
* these numbers are excluding Paris, France.
Toulouse in France’s top 3 metropolises for:
#1 Number of funds raised
#2 Startup creation
#3 Job creation in startups