Country comparison

France United Kingdom

How do France and United Kingdom compare on area, population, economy and living standards? Every figure below comes from open data, computed at build time.

France vs United Kingdom at a glance

Pick the first country of the comparison.

Pick the country to compare it against.

FranceUnited Kingdom — France's GDP per capita is about 85% of United Kingdom's.

Side-by-side metric comparison
MetricFranceUnited KingdomA vs B
Population & land
Population68.7M (2025)69.5M (2025)99%
Population growth0.2% (2025)0.3% (2025)83%
Urban population share78.8% (2025)83.3% (2025)95%
Population aged 65+22.5% (2025)19.7% (2025)1.1×
Fertility rate1.6 (2024)1.6 (2024)1.0×
Birth rate9.7‰ (2024)9.9‰ (2024)98%
Death rate9.4‰ (2024)9.7‰ (2024)97%
Net migration91.7K (2025)389.9K (2025)24%
Surface area643,829 km²248,906 km²2.6×
Population densityderived107/km² (2025)279/km² (2025)38%
Economy
GDP (total)$3.4T (2025)$4T (2025)84%
GDP per capita$48,986 (2025)$57,602 (2025)85%
GNI per capita$48,630 (2025)$54,550 (2025)89%
GDP growth (annual)0.8% (2025)1.4% (2025)61%
Inflation rate0.9% (2025)3.9% (2025)24%
Unemployment rate7.5% (2025)4.7% (2025)1.6×
Gini index31.8 (2023)32.4 (2021)98%
Poverty rate ($2.15/day)0.1% (2023)0.4% (2021)25%
Trade & industry
Exports share of GDP33.4% (2025)30.6% (2025)1.1×
Imports share of GDP33.8% (2025)31.9% (2025)1.1×
Agriculture share of GDP1.4% (2025)0.6% (2025)2.2×
Manufacturing share of GDP9.5% (2025)7.7% (2025)1.2×
International tourist arrivals117.1M (2020)11.1M (2020)11×
Tourism receipts$36B (2020)$31.7B (1998)1.1×
Health & education
Life expectancy83.0 years (2024)81.4 years (2024)1.0×
Infant mortality3.4‰ (2024)4.1‰ (2024)83%
Under-five mortality4.3‰ (2024)4.7‰ (2024)91%
DPT immunization96.0% (2024)92.0% (2024)1.0×
Hospital beds5.7 per 1,000 (2022)2.4 per 1,000 (2022)2.3×
Health spending share of GDP11.5% (2024)11.1% (2024)1.0×
Secondary school enrollment103.8% (2024)112.1% (2023)93%
Education spending share of GDP5.3% (2022)5.9% (2021)90%
Society & living
Human Development Index0.920 (2023)0.946 (2023)97%
Internet users88.7% (2024)95.5% (2024)93%
Mobile subscriptions116.7 per 100 (2023)121.6 per 100 (2024)96%
Fixed broadband48.9 per 100 (2024)42.2 per 100 (2024)1.2×
Electricity access100.0% (2024)100.0% (2024)1.0×
Environment & security
CO₂ emissions per capita4.0 t (2024)4.2 t (2024)95%
CO₂ emissions (total)derived274 Mt (2024)292 Mt (2024)94%
Renewable electricity share22.8% (2021)40.2% (2021)57%
Renewable energy consumption16.2% (2021)12.2% (2021)1.3×
Forest area32.5% (2023)13.3% (2023)2.4×
Agricultural land52.5% (2023)70.3% (2023)75%
Arable land31.4% (2023)25.0% (2023)1.3×
PM2.5 exposure8.2 µg/m³ (2023)9.5 µg/m³ (2023)87%
Military spending2.1% (2024)2.3% (2024)90%

Population density is our own derived metric: latest population ÷ the equal-area surface area computed from Natural Earth boundaries — the same area basis as the true-size tool.

France

Capital
Paris
Languages
French
Currencies
EUR
Subregion
Western Europe

United Kingdom

Capital
London
Languages
English
Currencies
GBP
Subregion
Northern Europe

France vs United Kingdom in five metrics

Horizontal bar chart comparing France and United Kingdom on area, population, GDP, GDP per capita and life expectancy; the longer bar is the larger value within each metric. France United Kingdom Surface area 643,829 km² 248,906 km² Population (2025) 68.7M 69.5M GDP (total) (2025) $3.4T $4T GDP per capita (2025) $48,986 $57,602 Life expectancy (2024) 83.0 years 81.4 years

Full metric comparison

Side-by-side metric comparison
Metric France United Kingdom A vs B
Population & land
Population 68.7M (2025) 69.5M (2025) 99%
Population growth 0.2% (2025) 0.3% (2025) 83%
Urban population share 78.8% (2025) 83.3% (2025) 95%
Population aged 65+ 22.5% (2025) 19.7% (2025) 1.1×
Fertility rate 1.6 (2024) 1.6 (2024) 1.0×
Birth rate 9.7‰ (2024) 9.9‰ (2024) 98%
Death rate 9.4‰ (2024) 9.7‰ (2024) 97%
Net migration 91.7K (2025) 389.9K (2025) 24%
Surface area 643,829 km² 248,906 km² 2.6×
Population density derived 107/km² (2025) 279/km² (2025) 38%
Economy
GDP (total) $3.4T (2025) $4T (2025) 84%
GDP per capita $48,986 (2025) $57,602 (2025) 85%
GNI per capita $48,630 (2025) $54,550 (2025) 89%
GDP growth (annual) 0.8% (2025) 1.4% (2025) 61%
Inflation rate 0.9% (2025) 3.9% (2025) 24%
Unemployment rate 7.5% (2025) 4.7% (2025) 1.6×
Gini index 31.8 (2023) 32.4 (2021) 98%
Poverty rate ($2.15/day) 0.1% (2023) 0.4% (2021) 25%
Trade & industry
Exports share of GDP 33.4% (2025) 30.6% (2025) 1.1×
Imports share of GDP 33.8% (2025) 31.9% (2025) 1.1×
Agriculture share of GDP 1.4% (2025) 0.6% (2025) 2.2×
Manufacturing share of GDP 9.5% (2025) 7.7% (2025) 1.2×
International tourist arrivals 117.1M (2020) 11.1M (2020) 11×
Tourism receipts $36B (2020) $31.7B (1998) 1.1×
Health & education
Life expectancy 83.0 years (2024) 81.4 years (2024) 1.0×
Infant mortality 3.4‰ (2024) 4.1‰ (2024) 83%
Under-five mortality 4.3‰ (2024) 4.7‰ (2024) 91%
DPT immunization 96.0% (2024) 92.0% (2024) 1.0×
Hospital beds 5.7 per 1,000 (2022) 2.4 per 1,000 (2022) 2.3×
Health spending share of GDP 11.5% (2024) 11.1% (2024) 1.0×
Secondary school enrollment 103.8% (2024) 112.1% (2023) 93%
Education spending share of GDP 5.3% (2022) 5.9% (2021) 90%
Society & living
Human Development Index 0.920 (2023) 0.946 (2023) 97%
Internet users 88.7% (2024) 95.5% (2024) 93%
Mobile subscriptions 116.7 per 100 (2023) 121.6 per 100 (2024) 96%
Fixed broadband 48.9 per 100 (2024) 42.2 per 100 (2024) 1.2×
Electricity access 100.0% (2024) 100.0% (2024) 1.0×
Environment & security
CO₂ emissions per capita 4.0 t (2024) 4.2 t (2024) 95%
CO₂ emissions (total) derived 274 Mt (2024) 292 Mt (2024) 94%
Renewable electricity share 22.8% (2021) 40.2% (2021) 57%
Renewable energy consumption 16.2% (2021) 12.2% (2021) 1.3×
Forest area 32.5% (2023) 13.3% (2023) 2.4×
Agricultural land 52.5% (2023) 70.3% (2023) 75%
Arable land 31.4% (2023) 25.0% (2023) 1.3×
PM2.5 exposure 8.2 µg/m³ (2023) 9.5 µg/m³ (2023) 87%
Military spending 2.1% (2024) 2.3% (2024) 90%

Population density is our own derived metric: latest population ÷ the equal-area surface area computed from Natural Earth boundaries — the same area basis as the true-size tool.

Reference facts

Metric France United Kingdom
Capital Paris London
Languages French English
Currencies EUR GBP
Subregion Western Europe Northern Europe

Frequently asked questions

Which is bigger, France or United Kingdom?

France's surface area is larger: about 2.6× United Kingdom's (643,829 km² vs 248,906 km²).

Which has a larger population, France or United Kingdom?

France's population is smaller: about 99% of United Kingdom's (68.7M vs 69.5M).

Which economy is larger, France or United Kingdom?

France's GDP (total) is smaller: about 84% of United Kingdom's ($3.4T vs $4T).

Open the interactive compare tool with France and United Kingdom preselected

See France and United Kingdom's true size on a drag-and-drop map →

Distance between France and United Kingdom →

France country profile: key metrics vs world median →

United Kingdom country profile: key metrics vs world median →

Back to the homepage

More comparisons with France and United Kingdom

Data & method

Indicators: World Bank Open Data, 43 indicators — CC BY 4.0 © World Bank — https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/; Human Development Index — CC BY 3.0 IGO © United Nations Development Programme — https://hdr.undp.org/terms-use

Boundaries: Natural Earth 1:110m (public domain); surface areas are computed with an equal-area spherical formula (Chamberlin–Duquette).

Reference facts (capital, languages, currencies, subregion): mledoze/countries (ODbL).