Used to seeing France as an immigration country, we do not have the tools to face the exile phenomenon. Statistics are not of any help because they lack information, due to common sense stating that French citizens don’t leave they country for ever but emigrate.
(Hervé Le Bras, démographe, mars 2008.)

The various emigration waves:
French emigration has always been low compared to other European countries such as Italy, Great Britain or Germany. Reasons are linked to the fact that the diminution of the demography came early, starting at the end of the 18th century, and the migration of French citizens towards the new French territories was not counted as emigration. Some also say that life in France being enjoyable explains the fact of this low mobility.

We can, nevertheless, count waves of French emigration at various periods of time :
*Population of Quebec in the 17th century ;
* French emigration to Mexico (the Barcelonnettes, old fabric peddler) ;
*The Basque emigration to Argentina and Uruguay ;
*The Brittany emigration to Nova Scotia;
* The emigration of Main and Anjou to Canada
* Wine maker to California
*Alsacians to the United States exported their French know-how, as it has been the case more generally with fashion, cuisine, wine making, luxurious boutiques, etc.
Nevertheless, French emigrants were mainly going to colonies in Indochina, West Africa and mostly to Algeria.