Well yes, according to new figures released by French national statistics body INSEE.
The data looks at the number of deaths per 1,000 people in each of France's départements, with the numbers including all age groups and types of death.
But before you get too panicked about murderers lurking in the shadows, these deaths are largely natural and have more to do with population demographics than anything else.
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The isolated Massif Central region is sparsely populated. Photo: AFP
INSEE statisticien Marina Robin told Business Insider France: “If we look at the crude mortality rates, the departmental differences can be explained first of all by a different age structure between the departments: so the proportion of elderly people is higher in Creuse than in Paris, for example.”
However she added that some other factors were also in play, including “sometimes better living conditions, the proximity of hospitals or the poverty of the population”.
These are the 25 départements of France which have the highest rate of deaths per 1,000 inhabitants of the population. They are all significantly higher than the French average, which was 9.2 deaths per 1,000 people in 2018.
25. Vosges : 12 percent (or 12 deaths per 1,000 inhabitants) – the mountainous region in the east of France is largely rural and boasts of being the birthplace of Joan of Arc.
24. Lot-et-Garonne: 12.1 percent – with its gentle climate making it attractive to retirees, the south of France is heavily represented on this list and Lot-et-Garonne is just one of many southern départements making an appearance.



Does INSEE provide a breakdown of the distribution of age groups in each département ? The higher the average age, the higher the mortality rate (stating the obvious, sorry!)
Re: n°8, Chateuneuf-du-Pape is in the Vaucluse, not the Lot!