More than 38,000 regional domain names were in use across France as of June 2026, demonstrating varied growth patterns between city-specific and regional or language-based extensions, according to industry data.
The total includes extensions such as .paris, .bzh, .alsace, and .corsica, reflecting a diverse adoption rate for geographically focused internet addresses.
Regional and language-based extensions, including .bzh (Brittany) and .corsica (Corsica), have more than doubled their registrations since their first full year of operation, showing consistent and sustainable growth, Afnic, the French association responsible for domain names, reported.
Conversely, city-based extensions like .paris experienced rapid initial adoption immediately after their launch but then saw a slight decline from their peak, Afnic data indicated. However, .paris has shown renewed dynamism since 2025.
Organizations, including businesses, associations, and public bodies, registered 72 percent of these French regional domain names. Individuals accounted for the remaining 28 percent.
Google treats these specialized extensions identically to any other domain, meaning their primary value lies in enhancing local image and digital anchoring rather than providing a specific advantage in search engine optimization, industry experts noted.
The annual cost for a regional domain name, such as .alsace, typically ranges from 30 to 40 euros (excluding tax), which is slightly higher than the price for more generic domain extensions.
The growth of regional domain names in France aligns with broader European trends, where organizations like CENTR (Council of European National Top-Level Domain Registries) monitor the evolution of country code top-level domains and regional alternatives.
ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, oversees the global system of unique identifiers, including the introduction of new generic and geographic top-level domains that allow for such regional extensions.
Source: Abondance
