China
Quick notes before you compare the numbers.
Identity
Formal name: People's Republic of China.
CIA 2026
Curated stat
China's population began shrinking in 2022, its first annual decline in about six decades.
Matchup file
China vs France
124 shared metrics.
Turn the comparison into a round
Think you can spot the next winner?
France leads by 12 metrics. Use the same instinct in a quick real-data brawl.
Country briefing
What matters for both sides
Short real-world notes so the comparison reads like more than a stat strip.
France
Quick notes before you compare the numbers.
Identity
Formal name: French Republic.
CIA 2026
Curated stat
France spans many time zones because its overseas territories sit across multiple oceans.
CIA
Analysis
France leads in 68 of 124 shared metrics, while China leads in 56.
China's Coal Electricity Share is 174.3x that of France (54.35% vs 0.31%).
China's Foreign Patents is 114.8x that of France (159.0K vs 1.4K).
China's Domestic Patents is 105.6x that of France (1.43M vs 13.4K).
China's Irrigated Land is 47.5x that of France (690.1K km² vs 14.2K km²).
China's Total CO2 Emissions is 46.8x that of France (13.1K Mt CO2e vs 274.45 Mt CO2e).
Key Comparisons
Coal Electricity ShareChina leads
China
54.35%
France
0.31%
Foreign PatentsChina leads
China
159.0K
France
1.4K
Domestic PatentsChina leads
China
1.43M
France
13.4K
Irrigated LandChina leads
China
690.1K km²
France
14.2K km²
Total CO2 EmissionsChina leads
China
13.1K Mt CO2e
France
274.45 Mt CO2e
Shipping TrafficChina leads
China
268.99M
France
6.47M
All Metrics
Coal Electricity Share
ChinaChina
54.35%
France
0.31%
17432% higher
Foreign Patents
ChinaChina
159.0K
France
1.4K
11482% higher
Domestic Patents
ChinaChina
1.43M
France
13.4K
10558% higher
Irrigated Land
ChinaChina
690.1K km²
France
14.2K km²
4747% higher
Total CO2 Emissions
ChinaChina
13.1K Mt CO2e
France
274.45 Mt CO2e
4682% higher
Shipping Traffic
ChinaChina
268.99M
France
6.47M
4059% higher
Water Withdrawal
ChinaChina
568.48 B m³
France
24.43 B m³
2227% higher
Population
ChinaChina
1.41B
France
68.51M
1954% higher
Electric Generating Capacity
ChinaChina
2.95B kW
France
151.46M kW
1847% higher
Electricity Generation
ChinaChina
10.1K TWh
France
557.73 TWh
1706% higher
Land Area
ChinaChina
9.39M km²
France
539.0K km²
1642% higher
Merchant Fleet Size
ChinaChina
8.3K
France
553
1403% higher
Scientific Publications
ChinaChina
898.9K
France
65.9K
1264% higher
Forest Area
ChinaChina
2.26M km²
France
175.0K km²
1189% higher
Electricity Carbon Intensity
ChinaChina
525.34 gCO2/kWh
France
41.44 gCO2/kWh
1168% higher
Political Corruption Index
ChinaChina
0.55
France
0.06
889% higher
Air Passengers
ChinaChina
619.22M
France
64.64M
858% higher
Armed Forces Personnel
ChinaChina
2.54M
France
304.0K
734% higher
GDP (Nominal)
ChinaChina
$18,743,803,170,827.2
France
$3,160,442,622,465.08
493% higher
Land Border Length
ChinaChina
22.5K km
France
4.0K km
468% higher
Railway Length
ChinaChina
150.0K km
France
27.9K km
438% higher
GDP Growth Rate
ChinaChina
5.0%
France
1.2%
318% higher
Time Zones Count
ChinaChina
4.0 time zones
France
1.0 time zones
300% higher
Railway Network
ChinaChina
109.8K km
France
27.7K km
296% higher
Road Traffic Death Rate
ChinaChina
17.4 per 100k
France
4.7 per 100k
270% higher
Air Pollution (PM2.5)
ChinaChina
34.81 µg/m³
France
9.6 µg/m³
263% higher
Coastline Length
ChinaChina
14.5K km
France
4.9K km
199% higher
CO2 Per Capita
ChinaChina
8.7 t/person/yr
France
4.0 t/person/yr
118% higher
Solar Electricity Share
ChinaChina
11.1%
France
5.6%
99% higher
Nobel Laureates Born per Million People
FranceChina
0.01 per 1M people
France
0.86 per 1M people
99% lower
EV Chargers per 100,000 People
FranceChina
0.22 per 100k people
France
29.75 per 100k people
99% lower
Firms Making Informal Payments
FranceChina
0.29% of firms
France
11.61% of firms
98% lower
Liberal Democracy Index
FranceChina
0.04
France
0.80
95% lower
Freedom of Expression Index
FranceChina
0.04
France
0.96
95% lower
FDI Inflows (% GDP)
FranceChina
0.10% of GDP
France
1.6% of GDP
94% lower
McDonald's Outlets per Million People
FranceChina
1.6 per 1M people
France
23.88 per 1M people
93% lower
Nuclear Electricity Share
FranceChina
4.9%
France
64.8%
92% lower
Electoral Democracy Index
FranceChina
0.07
France
0.86
92% lower
Firms Asked for Bribes
FranceChina
0.14% of firms
France
1.6% of firms
91% lower
Inflation Rate
FranceChina
0.20%
France
2.0%
90% lower
Firms Hit by Power Outages
FranceChina
3.7% of firms
France
29.49% of firms
88% lower
Milk Consumption per Person
FranceChina
32.66 kg/person/yr
France
241.31 kg/person/yr
86% lower
Health Spending Per Capita
FranceChina
$672.45
France
$4,865.18
86% lower
Highest Elevation
ChinaChina
8.8K m
France
4.8K m
84% higher
Minimum Paid Vacation Days
FranceChina
5.0 days/yr
France
25 days/yr
80% lower
Tourist Arrivals
FranceChina
30.40M
France
117.11M
74% lower
GNI Per Capita
FranceChina
$13,660
France
$45,160
70% lower
Tax Revenue (% GDP)
FranceChina
7.6% of GDP
France
23.08% of GDP
67% lower
Vehicles per 1,000 People
FranceChina
212.35 per 1k people
France
636.58 per 1k people
67% lower
Water Stress (%)
ChinaChina
20.21%
France
12.21%
65% higher
Researchers
FranceChina
1.8K per 1M
France
5.2K per 1M
64% lower
Nurses & Midwives
FranceChina
3.5 per 1k
France
9.4 per 1k
62% lower
Homicide Rate
FranceChina
0.50 per 100k
France
1.3 per 100k
62% lower
Border Neighbors
ChinaChina
16
France
10
60% higher
Alcohol Consumption
FranceChina
4.6 L/adult/yr
France
10.32 L/adult/yr
56% lower
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
FranceChina
$27,104.87
France
$61,290.42
56% lower
Health Spending (% GDP)
FranceChina
5.4% of GDP
France
11.88% of GDP
55% lower
Beer Consumption
FranceChina
1.1 L/person/yr
France
2.4 L/person/yr
52% lower
Airports
FranceChina
571
France
1.2K
52% lower
Government Debt (% GDP)
FranceChina
47% of GDP
France
98.5% of GDP
52% lower
Imports (% GDP)
FranceChina
17.18% of GDP
France
34.22% of GDP
50% lower
Teen Birth Rate
ChinaChina
5.2 per 1k
France
3.5 per 1k
49% higher
Suicide Rate
FranceChina
8.9 per 100k
France
16.58 per 100k
46% lower
Protected Land (%)
FranceChina
15.6%
France
28.6%
45% lower
Child Mortality
ChinaChina
6.2 per 1k births
France
4.3 per 1k births
44% higher
Exports (% GDP)
FranceChina
20.02% of GDP
France
33.89% of GDP
41% lower
Unemployment Rate
FranceChina
4.6%
France
7.4%
38% lower
Women's Political Empowerment
FranceChina
0.59
France
0.93
37% lower
Fertility Rate
FranceChina
1.2 children/woman
France
1.9 children/woman
37% lower
Corruption Perceptions Index
FranceChina
43 pts
France
66 pts
35% lower
Elderly Population (%)
FranceChina
14.67%
France
22.15%
34% lower
Birth Rate
FranceChina
7.3 per 1k
France
10.88 per 1k
33% lower
Smoking Rate
FranceChina
23.4%
France
34.6%
32% lower
Tobacco Use Prevalence
FranceChina
22.7% of adults
France
33.6% of adults
32% lower
Infant Mortality
ChinaChina
4.5 per 1k births
France
3.4 per 1k births
32% higher
Wind Electricity Share
ChinaChina
10.73%
France
8.2%
31% higher
Average Weekly Work Hours
ChinaChina
46.1 hrs/week
France
35.3 hrs/week
31% higher
Dependency Ratio
FranceChina
44.24% of working-age pop.
France
63% of working-age pop.
30% lower
Meat Consumption per Person
FranceChina
60.6 kg/person/yr
France
83.05 kg/person/yr
27% lower
Forest Coverage (%)
FranceChina
24.03%
France
32.48%
26% lower
Women in Parliament (%)
FranceChina
26.54%
France
36.05%
26% lower
Obesity Rate
FranceChina
8.2%
France
10.92%
25% lower
Education Spending (% GDP)
FranceChina
4.0% of GDP
France
5.3% of GDP
25% lower
Seafood Consumption per Person
ChinaChina
40.33 kg/person/yr
France
33.64 kg/person/yr
20% higher
Death Rate
FranceChina
8.0 per 1k
France
9.9 per 1k
20% lower
Insufficient Physical Activity
FranceChina
23.84% of adults
France
29.74% of adults
20% lower
Population Density
ChinaChina
150.26 /km²
France
126.86 /km²
18% higher
Hospital Beds (per 1,000)
FranceChina
5.0 per 1k
France
6.0 per 1k
17% lower
Military Spending
FranceChina
1.7% of GDP
France
2.1% of GDP
17% lower
Youth Unemployment Rate
FranceChina
15.79% of youth labor force
France
18.89% of youth labor force
16% lower
Urban Population (%)
FranceChina
65.89%
France
78.8%
16% lower
Credit Card Ownership
ChinaChina
46.03% of adults
France
39.76% of adults
16% higher
ATMs per 100,000 Adults
FranceChina
72.03 per 100k
France
84.58 per 100k
15% lower
R&D Spending (% GDP)
ChinaChina
2.6% of GDP
France
2.2% of GDP
14% higher
High-Tech Exports (%)
ChinaChina
26.28%
France
23.14%
14% higher
Human Development Index
FranceChina
0.80
France
0.92
13% lower
Inequality (Gini)
ChinaChina
36
France
31.8
13% higher
Mobile Subscriptions (%)
ChinaChina
132 per 100 people
France
117 per 100 people
13% higher
Spirits Consumption
ChinaChina
2.5 L/person/yr
France
2.2 L/person/yr
12% higher
Capital Elevation
FranceChina
43 m
France
48 m
10% lower
Digital Payments Used
FranceChina
88.72% of adults
France
98.45% of adults
10% lower
University Enrollment Rate
ChinaChina
76.88%
France
70.45%
9% higher
Energy Use (Per Capita)
FranceChina
2.9K kg oil eq/person
France
3.1K kg oil eq/person
9% lower
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
ChinaChina
60 sites
France
55 sites
9% higher
Hypertension Prevalence
FranceChina
27.3% of adults
France
29.6% of adults
8% lower
Broadband Access (%)
FranceChina
45 per 100 people
France
49 per 100 people
8% lower
Life Evaluation Score
FranceChina
6.1 pts
France
6.6 pts
8% lower
Median Age
FranceChina
39.1 years
France
41.8 years
7% lower
Agricultural Land (%)
ChinaChina
55.43%
France
52.5%
6% higher
Renewable Energy (%)
FranceChina
15.2%
France
16.2%
6% lower
Life Expectancy
FranceChina
78.0 years
France
82.9 years
6% lower
Renewable Energy (%)
ChinaChina
17.47%
France
16.47%
6% higher
Doctors (per 1,000)
FranceChina
3.1 per 1k
France
3.3 per 1k
5% lower
Internet Users (%)
ChinaChina
92%
France
88.65%
4% higher
Youth Population (%)
FranceChina
16.01%
France
16.51%
3% lower
Can Raise Emergency Money
ChinaChina
95.1% of adults
France
92.06% of adults
3% higher
Electricity Use (Per Capita)
ChinaChina
6.5K kWh/person
France
6.4K kWh/person
2% higher
Food Waste per Person
ChinaChina
141.64 kg/person/yr
France
139 kg/person/yr
2% higher
Sanitation Access (%)
FranceChina
97.27%
France
98.64%
1% lower
Firms with Female Top Manager
FranceChina
19.6% of firms
France
19.89% of firms
1% lower
Electricity Access (%)
ChinaChina
100%
France
100%
equal
Lowest Elevation
FranceChina
-154 m
France
-2 m
ranked lower
Official Languages Count
ChinaChina
1.0
France
1.0
equal
Current Account Balance (% of GDP)
ChinaChina
3.7% of GDP
France
-0.4% of GDP
ranked higher
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