The Black Death had killed an estimated one-third of the population of France from its appearance in 1348.  The concurrent Hundred Years' War slowed recovery.  It would be the early 16th century before the population recovered to mid-14th century levels. With an estimated population of 11 million in 1400, 20 million in the 17th century, and 28 million in 1789, until 1795 France was the most populated country in Europe  and the third most populous country in the world, behind only China and India. These demographic changes also led to a massive increase in urban populations, although on the whole France remained a profoundly rural country.  Paris was one of the most populated cities in Europe .  Other major French cities include Lyon, Rouen, Bordeaux, Toulouse, and Marseille. These centuries saw several periods of epidemics and crop failures due to wars and climatic change.  Between 1693 and 1694, France lost 6% of its population. In the extremely harsh winter of 1709, France lost 3.5% of its population. In the past 300 years, no period has been so proportionally deadly for the French, both World Wars included.. Which was France, a rural country or urban?