Rural France: Emptying Heartlands

Beyond regional variations, rural-urban divides deepen:

La Diagonale du Vide

The "empty diagonal" from northeast to southwest loses population: - Departments seeing continuous decline - Service withdrawal (post offices, schools, shops) - Aging populations left behind - Agricultural consolidation reducing employment - Infrastructure deterioration

In Creuse, France's least populated department, Mayor Catherine Dubois fights decline:

"We've lost our school, our bakery, our doctor. Young families can't stay without services. It's a vicious circle—less people means less services means less people. The République seems far away."

Rural Innovation

Yet some rural areas find new paths:

Neo-rurals: - Remote workers fleeing cities - Artisans and organic farmers - Tourism and second homes - Retirement destinations

Success Stories: - Ardèche developing eco-tourism - Aveyron attracting food enterprises - Lozère becoming outdoor sports destination - Dordogne leveraging British expatriates

Fiber optic deployment enables new possibilities, though digital divides persist.