Largest City in France

2026 ranking · access to general practitioners (APL)

Medical deserts: the towns in France with the poorest access to general practitioners

Maripasoula (French Guiana), Grand-Santi (French Guiana), Papaichton (French Guiana), and Sinnamary (French Guiana) share the poorest access to general practitioners in France: 0.0 visits per inhabitant per year.

34,848 towns ranked out of 34,875

Maripasoula, 1stThe next 19

The podium

  1. 1stMaripasoula 0.0visits/yr French Guiana
  2. 2ndGrand-Santi 0.0visits/yr French Guiana
  3. 3rdPapaichton 0.0visits/yr French Guiana

This ranking covers 34,848 of the 34,875 towns in France. Not ranked: communes whose APL is not published. The table is split into pages of 100 towns. At the other end of the ranking, Montgenèvre (Hautes-Alpes) comes last with 23.9 visits per inhabitant per year.

In France, a commune is the smallest unit of local government, from large cities to tiny villages. Paris, Lyon and Marseille are ranked as whole communes: their arrondissements (districts) have no rank of their own.

The ranking: medical deserts in France

Rank Town Department Visits per inhabitant per year Proportional bar Population
1 tied Maripasoula French Guiana (973) 0.0 9,717
1 tied Grand-Santi French Guiana (973) 0.0 9,675
1 tied Papaichton French Guiana (973) 0.0 5,029
1 tied Sinnamary French Guiana (973) 0.0 2,791
1 tied Meymac Corrèze (19) 0.0 2,580
1 tied Camopi French Guiana (973) 0.0 2,197
1 tied Régina French Guiana (973) 0.0 1,786
1 tied Saugues Haute-Loire (43) 0.0 1,745
1 tied Iracoubo French Guiana (973) 0.0 1,675
1 tied Gorbio Alpes-Maritimes (06) 0.0 1,631
1 tied Sainte-Agnès Alpes-Maritimes (06) 0.0 1,397
1 tied Linguizzetta Haute-Corse (2B) 0.0 1,170
1 tied Castellar Alpes-Maritimes (06) 0.0 1,012
1 tied Mons Var (83) 0.0 923
1 tied Utelle Alpes-Maritimes (06) 0.0 811
1 tied Échallon Ain (01) 0.0 810
1 tied Moltifao Haute-Corse (2B) 0.0 749
1 tied Clans Alpes-Maritimes (06) 0.0 712
1 tied Monte Haute-Corse (2B) 0.0 655
1 tied Vero Corse-du-Sud (2A) 0.0 655
1 tied Escragnolles Alpes-Maritimes (06) 0.0 637
1 tied Taglio-Isolaccio Haute-Corse (2B) 0.0 630
1 tied Gras Ardèche (07) 0.0 610
1 tied Antisanti Haute-Corse (2B) 0.0 596
1 tied La Tour Alpes-Maritimes (06) 0.0 546
1 tied Châteauneuf-de-Randon Lozère (48) 0.0 523
1 tied Pietralba Haute-Corse (2B) 0.0 515
1 tied Beuil Alpes-Maritimes (06) 0.0 495
1 tied Ota Corse-du-Sud (2A) 0.0 475
1 tied Piana Corse-du-Sud (2A) 0.0 462
1 tied Vallorcine Haute-Savoie (74) 0.0 462
1 tied Tavera Corse-du-Sud (2A) 0.0 455
1 tied Sénergues Aveyron (12) 0.0 430
1 tied Bocognano Corse-du-Sud (2A) 0.0 422
1 tied Tavaco Corse-du-Sud (2A) 0.0 420
1 tied Valgorge Ardèche (07) 0.0 420
1 tied Volpajola Haute-Corse (2B) 0.0 420
1 tied Saint-Étienne-de-Lugdarès Ardèche (07) 0.0 416
1 tied Villanova Corse-du-Sud (2A) 0.0 407
1 tied Vaour Tarn (81) 0.0 402
1 tied Galéria Haute-Corse (2B) 0.0 401
1 tied Cipières Alpes-Maritimes (06) 0.0 398
1 tied Névache Hautes-Alpes (05) 0.0 381
1 tied Saint-André-de-Valborgne Gard (30) 0.0 372
1 tied Serra-di-Fiumorbo Haute-Corse (2B) 0.0 371
1 tied Auroux Lozère (48) 0.0 368
1 tied Gorses Lot (46) 0.0 359
1 tied Le Truel Aveyron (12) 0.0 351
1 tied La Palud-sur-Verdon Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (04) 0.0 350
1 tied Bessans Savoie (73) 0.0 349
1 tied Venteuges Haute-Loire (43) 0.0 347
1 tied Aldudes Pyrénées-Atlantiques (64) 0.0 340
1 tied Caussols Alpes-Maritimes (06) 0.0 340
1 tied Pietroso Haute-Corse (2B) 0.0 340
1 tied Fondamente Aveyron (12) 0.0 323
1 tied Fournols Puy-de-Dôme (63) 0.0 322
1 tied Saint-Izaire Aveyron (12) 0.0 320
1 tied Bauduen Var (83) 0.0 312
1 tied Mijoux Ain (01) 0.0 312
1 tied Canari Haute-Corse (2B) 0.0 310
1 tied Laval-Roquecezière Aveyron (12) 0.0 309
1 tied Saumane Gard (30) 0.0 308
1 tied Canale-di-Verde Haute-Corse (2B) 0.0 305
1 tied Marigny-l'Église Nièvre (58) 0.0 300
1 tied Tallone Haute-Corse (2B) 0.0 291
1 tied Bonneval-sur-Arc Savoie (73) 0.0 290
1 tied Losse Landes (40) 0.0 288
1 tied Saül French Guiana (973) 0.0 283
1 tied Aiguines Var (83) 0.0 281
1 tied Soudorgues Gard (30) 0.0 276
1 tied Roussillon-en-Morvan Saône-et-Loire (71) 0.0 275
1 tied Urepel Pyrénées-Atlantiques (64) 0.0 272
1 tied Beaumont Ardèche (07) 0.0 270
1 tied Ceillac Hautes-Alpes (05) 0.0 270
1 tied Vezzani Haute-Corse (2B) 0.0 270
1 tied Moulinet Alpes-Maritimes (06) 0.0 269
1 tied Speloncato Haute-Corse (2B) 0.0 268
1 tied Urtaca Haute-Corse (2B) 0.0 268
1 tied Rolbing Moselle (57) 0.0 264
1 tied La Penne Alpes-Maritimes (06) 0.0 259
1 tied Ventalon en Cévennes Lozère (48) 0.0 257
1 tied Le Béage Ardèche (07) 0.0 256
1 tied Bugarach Aude (11) 0.0 252
1 tied Le Masnau-Massuguiès Tarn (81) 0.0 252
1 tied Ceilhes-et-Rocozels Hérault (34) 0.0 247
1 tied Lélex Ain (01) 0.0 245
1 tied Indevillers Doubs (25) 0.0 243
1 tied Lauresses Lot (46) 0.0 242
1 tied Prendeignes Lot (46) 0.0 242
1 tied Les Salles-sur-Verdon Var (83) 0.0 241
1 tied Occhiatana Haute-Corse (2B) 0.0 240
1 tied Évisa Corse-du-Sud (2A) 0.0 234
1 tied Les Plantiers Gard (30) 0.0 234
1 tied Le Lauzet-Ubaye Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (04) 0.0 232
1 tied Entraigues Isère (38) 0.0 228
1 tied Palasca Haute-Corse (2B) 0.0 228
1 tied Cabrerets Lot (46) 0.0 227
1 tied La Forclaz Haute-Savoie (74) 0.0 222
1 tied Olivese Corse-du-Sud (2A) 0.0 222
1 tied Saint-Yrieix-la-Montagne Creuse (23) 0.0 222

Source: DREES (French Ministry of Health), localized potential accessibility (APL) to general practitioners; general practitioner office and home visits accessible per inhabitant per year (APL). Not ranked: communes whose APL is not published. Tied values share the same rank. Data sources.

FAQ

Medical deserts in France: FAQ

Which town in France has the poorest access to general practitioners?

Maripasoula (French Guiana), Grand-Santi (French Guiana), Papaichton (French Guiana), and Sinnamary (French Guiana) share the poorest access to general practitioners in France: 0.0 visits per inhabitant per year.

What are the 10 towns in France with the poorest access to general practitioners?

In order: Maripasoula (0.0 visits per inhabitant per year), Grand-Santi (0.0 visits per inhabitant per year), Papaichton (0.0 visits per inhabitant per year), Sinnamary (0.0 visits per inhabitant per year), Meymac (0.0 visits per inhabitant per year), Camopi (0.0 visits per inhabitant per year), Régina (0.0 visits per inhabitant per year), Saugues (0.0 visits per inhabitant per year), Iracoubo (0.0 visits per inhabitant per year), and Gorbio (0.0 visits per inhabitant per year).

Which town in France has the best access to general practitioners?

Montgenèvre (Hautes-Alpes) has the best access to general practitioners in France: 23.9 visits per inhabitant per year. See the towns in France with the best access to general practitioners.

How many towns in France are ranked?

34,848 out of 34,875. Not ranked: communes whose APL is not published.

How is access to doctors measured?

Localized potential accessibility (APL), calculated by DREES, the statistics office of the French Ministry of Health, measures how many general practitioner visits each inhabitant can access per year. It takes into account doctors in the commune and in nearby communes, how much they work, and the age of the population. In its studies, DREES describes communes with an APL below 2.5 visits per inhabitant per year as underserved. Values are high in tourist resorts, where doctors also serve a seasonal population.

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