▁ 2 8 3 , 2 8 8 ▁inhabitants ▁and ▁an ▁urban ▁area ▁en comp ass ing ▁ 8 7 3 , 1 3 3 , ▁and ▁Saint - N az aire , ▁with ▁ 6 7 , 0 3 1 ▁inhabitants . ▁Lo ire - At lant ique ' s ▁population ▁is ▁more ▁rapidly ▁growing ▁than ▁Region ▁Brit t any ' s ▁and ▁it ▁is ▁the ▁ 1 2 th ▁most ▁populated ▁French ▁département . ▁Nevertheless , ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s , ▁R ennes ▁has ▁consist ently ▁ranked ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁France ' s ▁fast est ▁growing ▁metropol itan ▁areas . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 5 1 , ▁Brit t any ▁had ▁around ▁ 2 . 7   mill ion ▁inhabitants ▁and ▁the ▁dem ographic ▁growth ▁stayed ▁low ▁until ▁the ▁second ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁mainly ▁because ▁of ▁an ▁important ▁em igration . ▁Brit t any ▁had ▁ 3 . 2   mill ion ▁inhabitants ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 2 ▁and ▁the ▁growth ▁was ▁mainly ▁due ▁to ▁Lo ire - At lant ique ▁and ▁the ▁steady ▁growth ▁of ▁N antes . ▁Without ▁the ▁Lo ire - At lant ique ' s ▁figures , ▁the ▁Bre ton ▁population ▁only ▁number ed ▁ 2 . 4   mill ion ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 2 , ▁nearly ▁un changed ▁from ▁its ▁population ▁of ▁ 2 . 3   mill ion ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 1 . ▁After ▁the ▁ 1 9 6