Good to know
Good to Know
- British residents comprise 5% of Chamonix's population—the largest single foreign nationality—making up the majority of non-French alpine workers in tourism, hospitality, and guides
- Population more than doubles to ~20,000 during the 9-month tourist season when seasonal workers arrive; peaks at 100,000–130,000 during high winter and summer weeks
- Tech ecosystem is strongly concentrated on outdoor sports, mountain applications, and ski/trail software rather than general tech—reflects local geography and economy
- Chamonix is part of the broader Mont-Blanc French Tech zone, gaining labeling in 2023; access to startup support, investor networks, and business incubation via regional infrastructure
Notable Nationalities
British
- Percentage Of Chamonix Population
- 5
- Context
- Highest single foreign nationality; primarily young workers in tourism and hospitality
European (General)
- Note
- Significant EU citizen population; second home owners and renters estimated at ~3,000 additional residents
French Tech Label
- Region
- French Tech Mont-Blanc (covers Chamonix, Passy, Saint-Gervais, Sallanches)
- Status
- Labeled February 2023
Specializations
- Outdoor software and applications (mountain, trail, ski)
- Sport, nature, and tourism startups
Notable Companies
Ginkoia
- Reach
- 1,450+ stores across France, 400 in mountain areas
- Sector
- Ski retail and sports store management software
- Founded
- 1989
- Founder
- Michel Poletti
ZAG Skis
- Sector
- Freeride and backcountry ski manufacturer
- Founded
- 2002
- Note
- Founded by world freeride skier (Franck) and snowboard pioneer (Stéphane)
Fatmap
- Sector
- 3D mapping application for trail runners and skiers
- Status
- Acquired by Strava after 1.5M+ users
Whympr
- Sector
- Mountain sports application for climbing, ski touring
- Founders
- Tim MacLean and Xavier Bougouin
- Note
- Co-president of French Tech Mont-Blanc
Population
- Year
- 2022
- Resident Population
- 8673
- Note
- Stable population with slight annual decline 2015–2022
Foreign Residents
- Percentage Foreign Citizenship
- 16.7
- Year
- 2021
- Source
- 2021 census data
Startup Ecosystem
Active incubation (PEP's in Passy), regular pitch competitions, outdoor-sports focus; Quechua (500+ employees in nearby Passy) is major regional employer
Seasonal Population Impact
- Peak Summer Daily
- 130000
- Working Season Population
- 20000
- Peak Winter High Season Daily
- 100000
- Note
- Seasonal workers ('seasonnaires') arrive 9 months per year for tourism industry
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this local demographics research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
More About Chamonix
Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.