2026 comparison
La Possession vs Mamoudzou: 2026 comparison
Mamoudzou has more inhabitants than La Possession: 94,603 versus 37,005, or 2.6 times as many. La Possession covers a larger area (118 km² versus 42.1 km²), but Mamoudzou is more densely populated: 2,246 inhabitants per km² versus 313.
The two cities are 1,417 km apart as the crow flies.
La Possession
City in Réunion
- Population
- 37,005 inhab.
- 224th in France · 10th in its department
- Area
- 118 km²
- Density
- 313 per km²
Mamoudzou
City in Mayotte
- Population
- 94,603 inhab.
- 46th in France · 1st in its department
- Area
- 42.1 km²
- Density
- 2,246 per km²
Population
Population and demographics
| Criterion | La Possession | Mamoudzou | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population inhab.More populous: Mamoudzou2.6 times as high | 37,005 | 94,603 | More populous: Mamoudzou2.6 times as high |
| Change over 5 years | +12.1% | — | |
| Change over 10 years | +16.3% | — | |
| Density per km²Denser: Mamoudzou7.2 times as high | 313 | 2,246 | Denser: Mamoudzou7.2 times as high |
| Under 15 | 24.1% | — | |
| 65 and over | 10.3% | — | |
| People per household | 2.53 | — |
Sources: INSEE, official population figures, INSEE, censuses, INSEE, census
Housing
Real estate prices and housing
| Criterion | La Possession | Mamoudzou | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median apartment price €/m² | 2,703 | not covered | |
| Median house price €/m² | 3,544 | not covered | |
| Apartment rent €/m² per month, utilities included | 15.5 | — | |
| House rent €/m² per month, utilities included | 16.3 | — | |
| Homeowner households | 50.0% | — | |
| Share of houses | 57.3% | — | |
| Social housing (SRU law) share of primary residences | 32.7% | — | |
| Second homes | 1.3% | — | |
| Vacant homes | 5.4% | — | |
| Property tax (combined rate)Higher rate: La Possession+38 pts | 50.19% | 12.42% | Higher rate: La Possession+38 pts |
Sources: DGFiP (DVF), Ministry of Housing (rent map), INSEE, census, Ministry for the Ecological Transition (SRU), DGFiP, local taxation
Income and jobs
Residents’ income and jobs
| Criterion | La Possession | Mamoudzou | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median standard of living €/year | 23,650 | not covered | |
| Poverty rate | 24.8% | not covered | |
| Average taxable income per householdHigher: La Possession+63% | €28,743 | €17,625 | Higher: La Possession+63% |
| Households paying income taxMore taxpaying households: La Possession+17 pts | 33% | 16% | More taxpaying households: La Possession+17 pts |
| Activity rate (ages 15-64) | 75.0% | — | |
| Unemployment rate (census) | 19.3% | — |
Sources: INSEE, Filosofi, DGFiP, income tax, INSEE, census
Local life
Town hall and fiber internet
| Criterion | La Possession | Mamoudzou | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mayor | Erick Fontaine | Ambdilwahedou Soumaila | |
| Political label of the mayor’s list (2026 local elections) | miscellaneous left | Les Républicains | |
| Premises with fiberBetter covered: La Possession+75 pts | 94% | 19% | Better covered: La Possession+75 pts |
Sources: Ministry of the Interior, register of elected officials, Ministry of the Interior, Arcep
Shops and facilities
Shops, leisure and transportation
| Criterion | La Possession | Mamoudzou | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shops per 10,000 inhab.More shops per capita: Mamoudzou2.7 times as high | 30.5113 in total | 83.0785 in total | More shops per capita: Mamoudzou2.7 times as high |
| Food shops per 10,000 inhab.More per capita: Mamoudzou2.8 times as high | 15.959 in total | 45.0426 in total | More per capita: Mamoudzou2.8 times as high |
| Restaurants per 10,000 inhab.More per capita: La Possession+77% | 35.1130 in total | 19.9188 in total | More per capita: La Possession+77% |
| Sports facilities per 10,000 inhab.More per capita: La Possession2.6 times as high | 18.669 in total | 7.268 in total | More per capita: La Possession2.6 times as high |
| Cultural venues per 10,000 inhab.More per capita: La Possession+53% | 0.83 in total | 0.55 in total | More per capita: La Possession+53% |
| Hotels per 10,000 inhab.More per capita: Mamoudzou3.5 times as high | 0.31 in total | 1.09 in total | More per capita: Mamoudzou3.5 times as high |
| Passenger train stationsTie | 0 | 0 | Tie |
Number of facilities per 10,000 inhabitants (total count in small print). Source: INSEE, facilities database (BPE)
Health
Health care
| Criterion | La Possession | Mamoudzou | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access to general practitioners visits/inhab./year localized potential accessibility | 5.4 | — | |
| General practitioners per 10,000 inhab.More per capita: La Possession4.9 times as high | 7.829 in total | 1.615 in total | More per capita: La Possession4.9 times as high |
| Medical specialists per 10,000 inhab.More per capita: La Possession+28% | 0.83 in total | 0.66 in total | More per capita: La Possession+28% |
| Dentists per 10,000 inhab.More per capita: La Possession16 times as high | 6.825 in total | 0.44 in total | More per capita: La Possession16 times as high |
| Pharmacies per 10,000 inhab.More per capita: La Possession2.6 times as high | 2.710 in total | 1.110 in total | More per capita: La Possession2.6 times as high |
| HospitalsMore facilities: Mamoudzou+1 | 1 | 2 | More facilities: Mamoudzou+1 |
Practitioners and facilities per 10,000 inhabitants (total count in small print); access to doctors includes those in neighboring communes. Sources: Ministry of Health (DREES), APL, INSEE, facilities database (BPE), Ministry of Health (Finess)
Education
Schools and colleges
| Criterion | La Possession | Mamoudzou | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary schoolsMore schools: Mamoudzou+31 | 27 | 58 | More schools: Mamoudzou+31 |
| Middle schoolsMore middle schools: Mamoudzou+7 | 4 | 11 | More middle schools: Mamoudzou+7 |
| High schoolsMore high schools: Mamoudzou+2 | 3 | 5 | More high schools: Mamoudzou+2 |
| Higher education institutions and programsMore facilities: Mamoudzou+4 | 0 | 4 | More facilities: Mamoudzou+4 |
Sources: Ministry of Education, INSEE, facilities database (BPE)
Recorded crime
Offenses recorded by the police
| Criterion | La Possession | Mamoudzou | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home burglaries per 1,000 homesHigher rate: Mamoudzou8.1 times as high | 1.6 | 12.7 | Higher rate: Mamoudzou8.1 times as high |
| Non-violent thefts per 1,000 inhab.Higher rate: Mamoudzou2.5 times as high | 2.6 | 6.3 | Higher rate: Mamoudzou2.5 times as high |
| Physical violence outside the family per 1,000 inhab.Higher rate: Mamoudzou2.9 times as high | 2.8 | 8.4 | Higher rate: Mamoudzou2.9 times as high |
| Vehicle thefts per 1,000 inhab.Higher rate: Mamoudzou2.2 times as high | 1.1 | 2.3 | Higher rate: Mamoudzou2.2 times as high |
| Vandalism and property damage per 1,000 inhab.Higher rate: Mamoudzou2.1 times as high | 4.6 | 9.9 | Higher rate: Mamoudzou2.1 times as high |
Offenses recorded in the commune by the police and gendarmerie, per 1,000 inhabitants (per 1,000 homes for burglaries); this is not the actual crime level. Rates for the latest published year. Source: Ministry of the Interior (SSMSI)
Climate
Temperature, sunshine and rain
| Criterion | La Possession | Mamoudzou | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average temperatureWarmer: Mamoudzou+1.8 °C | 25.6°C | 27.4°C | Warmer: Mamoudzou+1.8 °C |
| Sunshine h/yearSunnier: Mamoudzou+9% | 2,567 | 2,787 | Sunnier: Mamoudzou+9% |
| Rainfall mm/yearWetter: Mamoudzou2.5 times as high | 539 | 1,342 | Wetter: Mamoudzou2.5 times as high |
| Rainy days days/year at least 1 mmMore rainy days: Mamoudzou+53 days/year | 40 | 93 | More rainy days: Mamoudzou+53 days/year |
| Frost days days/yearTie | 0 | 0 | Tie |
| Very hot days days/year 30 °C or moreMore hot days: Mamoudzou+114 days/year | 149 | 263 | More hot days: Mamoudzou+114 days/year |
Climate normals from the reference Météo-France station of each commune. Source: Météo-France, climate normals
Natural hazards
Natural disasters and prevention
| Criterion | La Possession | Mamoudzou | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural disasters declared since 1982More declarations: La Possession+13 | 17 | 4 | More declarations: La Possession+13 |
| Natural hazard prevention plansMore plans: La Possession+1 | 1 | 0 | More plans: La Possession+1 |
| Radon potential | Low | Significant |
Sources: Géorisques (GASPAR), IRSN
Land
Area, terrain and administrative areas
| Criterion | La Possession | Mamoudzou | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Area km²Larger: La Possession2.8 times as high | 118 | 42.1 | Larger: La Possession2.8 times as high |
| Town hall elevationHigher: Mamoudzou+3 m | 10 m | 13 m | Higher: Mamoudzou+3 m |
| Coastal communeSame | Yes (sea) | Yes (sea) | Same |
| Density grid (INSEE) | Intermediate urban centre | Large urban centre | |
| Department | Réunion (974) | Mayotte (976) | |
| Intercommunality | Communauté d'agglomération Territoire de la Côte Ouest (TCO) | Communauté d'agglomération de Dembeni / Mamoudzou | |
| Urban unit | Saint-Paul | Mamoudzou | |
| Functional area | Saint-Denis | Mamoudzou |
Sources: IGN, IGN, elevation, Ministry for the Ecological Transition, Loi Littoral, INSEE, density grid, INSEE, COG, INSEE, geographic classifications
Summary
La Possession vs Mamoudzou at a glance
| Criterion | La Possession | Mamoudzou |
|---|---|---|
| Population inhab. | 37,005 | 94,603 |
| Change over 10 years | +16.3% | — |
| Density per km² | 313 | 2,246 |
| Median apartment price €/m² | 2,703 | not covered |
| Median house price €/m² | 3,544 | not covered |
| Apartment rent €/m² | 15.5 | — |
| Property tax (combined rate) | 50.19% | 12.42% |
| Median standard of living €/year | 23,650 | not covered |
| Unemployment rate (census) | 19.3% | — |
| Premises with fiber | 94% | 19% |
| Access to general practitioners visits/inhab./year | 5.4 | — |
| Home burglaries per 1,000 homes | 1.6 | 12.7 |
| Average temperature | 25.6°C | 27.4°C |
| Sunshine h/year | 2,567 | 2,787 |
| Area km² | 118 | 42.1 |
More comparisons
Compare with other towns
FAQ
La Possession vs Mamoudzou: your questions
Which is the larger city, La Possession or Mamoudzou?
By population, Mamoudzou: 94,603 inhabitants versus 37,005 for La Possession (official population figures in force on January 1, 2026). Mamoudzou is the 46th largest city in France, La Possession the 224th. By area, La Possession is the larger (118 km²).
How far is La Possession from Mamoudzou?
La Possession and Mamoudzou are 1,417 km apart as the crow flies, between the centers of the two communes.
Which city is sunnier, La Possession or Mamoudzou?
Mamoudzou: 2,787 hours of sunshine a year on average, versus 2,567 in La Possession (climate normals from the reference Météo-France station of each town).
Are La Possession and Mamoudzou in the same department?
No: La Possession is in Réunion (974), in the Réunion region, and Mamoudzou in Mayotte (976), in the Mayotte region.
Official population figures in force on January 1, 2026. Source: INSEE, official population figures