Saint-Martin-de-Bavel (French pronunciation: [sɛ̃ maʁtɛ̃ də bavɛl]) is a commune in the Ain department in eastern France.

Its inhabitants are called Saint-Martenant(e)s in French.

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1793 447 —     1800 460 +0.41% 1806 533 +2.49% 1821 486 −0.61% 1831 598 +2.10% 1836 621 +0.76% 1841 670 +1.53% 1846 668 −0.06% 1851 693 +0.74% 1856 640 −1.58% 1861 619 −0.67% 1866 618 −0.03% 1872 658 +1.05% 1876 668 +0.38% 1881 661 −0.21% 1886 665 +0.12% 1891 659 −0.18% 1896 617 −1.31%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1901 562 −1.85% 1906 557 −0.18% 1911 565 +0.29% 1921 512 −0.98% 1926 481 −1.24% 1931 445 −1.54% 1936 407 −1.77% 1946 371 −0.92% 1954 331 −1.42% 1962 305 −1.02% 1968 304 −0.05% 1975 304 +0.00% 1982 282 −1.07% 1990 327 +1.87% 1999 332 +0.17% 2009 449 +3.06% 2014 431 −0.81% 2020 441 +0.38%
Source: EHESS and INSEE (1968-2017)

Saint-Martin-de-Bavel is a rural commune. It is a commune of relatively low density as classified by the national commune density classification of the INSEE.

The commune is part of the Belley region as defined by the INSEE. This region, which encompasses 31 communes, contains less than 50,000 inhabitants in total.

According to the European land distribution database Corine Land Cover (CLC), there is significant agricultural land use in the region (57.7% in 2018)—a lesser figure than in 1990 (62.8%). In 2018, the detailed land breakdown was the following: forests (36%), agricultural zones (23.7%), meadows (22.7%), arable land (11.3%), urban areas (4.8%), shrubs and/or herbaceous vegetation (1.6%).

• Joseph-Benoît (1812-1880), a canut from Lyon, was born in Saint-Martin-de-Bavel.
• Jean Augustin Carrié de Boissy (1764-1838), a French military man, died in Saint-Martin-de-Bavel.
• Louis-Anthelme Carrier (1773-1838), military general, was born and died in the commune.

• Communes of the Ain department