- Nice Côte d’Azur scores high in quality of life:
The metropolitan area of Nice Côte d’Azur ranks 2nd in quality of life among France’s major metropolises. The 2025 Arthur Loyd study evaluates 75 statistical indicators across 50 territories, covering 82% of the population living in attraction areas with more than 100,000 inhabitants. - A major metropolis with international reach:
Nice Côte d’Azur belongs to the category of large metropolises with populations between 500,000 and 1 million. Within its category, the metropolis ranks in the top three for 6 out of 14 key dimensions analyzed in the study. - Positioned in the transition of territories:
Nice ranks 5th in the “Connectivity, Human Capital, and Transitions” theme within its category. This includes indicators related to demographic dynamism, innovation, international openness, and mobility. The region benefits from national and international connectivity through Nice Airport — the second largest in France after Paris. - A rigorous methodology to evaluate territorial attractiveness:
Now in its 9th edition, the Arthur Loyd Barometer relies on over 30 official data sources. The 75 indicators are distributed equally across four main themes, without weighting. The study serves as a decision-making tool for economic stakeholders.
The Arthur Loyd Barometer: A Tool to Measure the Attractiveness of French Regions
Each year, the business real estate consultancy Arthur Loyd publishes a barometer focused on the attractiveness and resilience of French metropolitan areas. This 9th edition, released on January 20, 2026, analyzes 50 regional attraction areas using 75 statistical indicators from more than 30 official or recognized sources. These include INSEE, Banque de France, INPI, Observatoire des Territoires, Eurostat, and DRIAS.
The methodology is marked by its objectivity: no weighting is applied. All indicators are converted into composite indices ranging from 0 to 1. This aggregation generates a global attractiveness and resilience index, which determines the ranking of territories. The areas considered are defined by INSEE’s “aires d’attraction,” deemed more representative of real-life catchment zones than traditional administrative boundaries.
Nice Côte d’Azur: 2nd Place for Quality of Life
In the category of large metropolitan areas, Nice Côte d’Azur ranks 6th overall with an attractiveness and resilience index of 0.475. The top three cities in this category are Montpellier (1st), Rennes (2nd), and Grenoble (3rd). A breakdown by theme highlights the distinctive strengths of the Nice Côte d’Azur area.
Nice ranks 2nd in quality of life, just behind Nancy. This reflects the city’s performance on indicators related to living standards, including environment and climate risks, urban amenities and infrastructure, higher education, healthcare, public safety, and housing costs.
In the theme of connectivity, human capital, and transitions, Nice ranks 5th. This theme includes demographic vitality, talent availability, innovation, international openness, transport infrastructure, electric vehicle charging stations, and soft mobility. The presence of an international airport with European connections contributes to this positioning.
Nice’s Standing Among France’s Large Metropolises
Among the ten large metropolises analyzed, Nice is one of the few to feature in the top three in six out of 14 thematic categories — a performance on par with Strasbourg and ahead of Rennes, Montpellier, Rouen, and Tours.
The rankings of large metropolises are relatively stable from one edition to the next, according to the Arthur Loyd study.
Nice is particularly strong in the themes of quality of life and connectivity, human capital, and transitions.
The Four Pillars of the Arthur Loyd Barometer
- Arthur Loyd’s 75 indicators are grouped into four main thematic categories:
- Quality of Life: 23 indicators on environment, urban amenities, higher education, healthcare, safety, and housing costs. Nice Côte d’Azur achieves its best score here — 2nd place. Connectivity, Human Capital, and Transitions: 25 indicators covering demographics, innovation, internationalization, national transport, electric mobility, and local transportation. Nice ranks 5th.
- Economic Vitality: 15 indicators related to economic resources and resilience. Nice ranks 7th in this dimension.
- Business Environment and Commercial Real Estate: 12 indicators evaluating professional real estate performance and business location costs. Nice also ranks 7th in this theme.
What It Means to Be a Major Metropolis in France
The Arthur Loyd Barometer divides regions into four demographic categories:
– Very Large Metropolises: More than 1 million inhabitants (e.g., Lyon, Toulouse, Bordeaux).
– Large Metropolises: Between 500,000 and 1 million inhabitants — this is where Nice Côte d’Azur is ranked.
– Intermediate Metropolises: 300,000 to 500,000 inhabitants.
– Medium-Sized Agglomerations: 100,000 to 300,000 inhabitants.
Paris is deliberately excluded from the analysis. As a global city, the French capital has no comparable peer nationally. This methodological choice allows for more coherent comparisons and better representation of local dynamics and specificities.
In total, the 50 attraction areas analyzed cover 82% of the French population in areas with over 100,000 inhabitants. This broad coverage gives the study strong relevance for economic stakeholders seeking reliable, data-driven insights to guide their investment and development decisions.
Source / More information: https://www.arthur-loyd.com/barometre/barometre-9eme-edition
