regionsFrance

Regions of France are the top-level territorial collectivities responsible for a range of regional development tasks delegated by the national government. They coordinate economic development, land-use planning, higher education and research, vocational training, public transport, environment, culture, and tourism within their territories. Regional councils, elected for six-year terms, set budgets and policy priorities, and work with the central government through the regional prefect who represents the state at the regional level.

As of the 2016 reform, metropolitan France comprises 13 regions, while five overseas regions remain, bringing the total to 18 regions. The 13 metropolitan regions are Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Bretagne, Centre-Val de Loire, Corse, Grand Est, Hauts-de-France, Île-de-France, Normandie, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Occitanie, Pays de la Loire, and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. The overseas regions are Guadeloupe, Guyane, Martinique, Mayotte, and Réunion.

Regions were created as part of decentralization in the 1980s to bring decision-making closer to residents. In 2016, a major reform consolidated metropolitan regions from 22 to 13, while overseas regions remained separate. Regions are distinct from departments and communes in that they oversee broad development planning and service delivery across their entire territory, often coordinating with the central state through the prefect. Funding comes from national allocations, regional budgets, and, for some programs, European funds, enabling regional strategies in areas such as transport, education, and economic development.