Culture
Major languages include French (official) 100%, declining regional dialects and languages (Provençal, Breton, Alsatian, and more.
CIA 2026
Data as of May 5, 2026
France
EuropeGlobal Leader
Among all countries, France stands 1st in tourist arrivals. Can you guess its other standout statistics?
Among all countries, France stands 1st in tourist arrivals. This achievement puts it ahead of the vast majority of countries. Can you guess its other standout statistics?
46.0, 2.0 - Europe
Area
544K km²
Pop.
68.51M
Stats
198
Reality brief
France is a country in Europe with a population of 68.51M and an area of 543,908 km². Life expectancy is 82.9 years.
Short factual summary generated from the same country data used in game rounds.
Core numbers
Stats worth knowing
Fast scan first, deep dive later.
Life Expectancy
83.3 years#17globally
Average number of years a newborn would be expected to live if current mortality patterns stayed the same, from Our World in Data.
Human Development Index
0.92#26globally
Composite 0-1 index of life expectancy, education, and income, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
GDP Per Capita
$54,464.98#32globally
GDP per person adjusted for purchasing power in constant 2017 international dollars, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
$61,290.42#32globally
GDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
Country briefing
Grounded facts about France
A quick real-world briefing before you dive deeper into rankings, surprises, and matchups.
Identity
Formal name: French Republic.
CIA 2026
Curated stat
France spans many time zones because its overseas territories sit across multiple oceans.
CIA
Cities
Cities in France
Browse this country's cities before City Detective asks you to guess.
Lyon
Rhone-Alpes, France
Famous79/100
Open city guide
Marseille
Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, France
Famous76/100
Open city guide
Paris
Ile-de-France, France
Famous100/100
Open city guide
Bordeaux
New Aquitaine, France
Famous73/100
Open city guide
Lille
Hauts-de-France, France
Famous69/100
Open city guide
Toulouse
Occitanie, France
Famous68/100
Open city guide
Nice
Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, France
Famous67/100
Open city guide
Le Havre
Normandy, France
Famous66/100
Open city guide
Top stats
Where They Stand Out
The strongest source-backed stats before the deeper data table.
Nuclear Electricity Share
64.8%#1globallyTop stat
Percent of electricity generated from nuclear from CIA World Factbook.
Tourist Arrivals
117.11M#1globallyTop stat
How many international tourists visit the country each year.
Airports
1.2K#6globallyTop stat
Large, medium, and small airport records by country from the open OurAirports dataset.
GDP (Nominal)
$3,160,442,622,465.08#7globallyTop stat
The country's total economic output in current US dollars.
Health Spending (% GDP)
11.88% of GDP#9globallyTop stat
Current health expenditure as a share of GDP, from World Bank Open Data.
Reality checks
Did You Know?
The stats that tend to surprise players in real rounds.
Ranks #9 globally in electric generating capacity
#9151.46M kWElectric Generating Capacity
Installed electricity generating capacity in kilowatts from the frozen public-domain CIA World Factbook snapshot.
Ranks #2 globally in leisure time
#216.2 hrs/dayLeisure Time
Average leisure and personal-care time per day, from OECD How's Life / Well-Being.
Ranks #10 globally in railway length
#1027.9K kmRailway Length
Total railway length from CIA World Factbook.
Ranks #16 globally in elderly population (%)
#1622.15%Elderly Population (%)
Share of the population ages 65 and older, from World Bank Open Data.
Ranks #15 globally in smoking rate
#1534.6%Smoking Rate
The percentage of people aged 15 and older who use tobacco products.
Compared with the region
How France Compares
Country vs continent vs world averages
France
Europe avg
World avg
GDP per Capita
GDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
- Country
- $61,290.42
- Region avg
- $57,483.02
- World avg
- $31,844.55
France$61,290.42
Europe$57,483.02
World$31,844.55
+92% above worldWB 2023
Life Expectancy
How many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
- Country
- 82.9 years
- Region avg
- 80.0 years
- World avg
- 73.7 years
France82.9 years
Europe80.0 years
World73.7 years
+12% above worldWB 2023
Human Development Index
Composite 0-1 index of life expectancy, education, and income, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
- Country
- 0.92
- Region avg
- 0.89
- World avg
- 0.74
France0.92
Europe0.89
World0.74
+24% above worldOWID 2023
Internet Users
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
- Country
- 88.65%
- Region avg
- 90.13%
- World avg
- 70.29%
France88.65%
Europe90.13%
World70.29%
+26% above worldWB 2023
Think you can guess which countries rank higher?
Play this countryFactbook notes
About France
Country briefing
France today is one of the most modern countries in the world and is a leader among European nations.
Read the full Factbook note
France today is one of the most modern countries in the world and is a leader among European nations. It plays an influential global role as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, NATO, the G-7, the G-20, the EU, and other multilateral organizations. France rejoined NATO's integrated military command structure in 2009, reversing then President Charles DE GAULLE's 1966 decision to withdraw French forces from NATO. Since 1958, it has constructed a hybrid presidential-parliamentary governing system resistant to the instabilities experienced in earlier, more purely parliamentary administrations. In recent decades, its reconciliation and cooperation with Germany have proved central to the economic integration of Europe, including the introduction of a common currency, the euro, in January 1999. In the early 21st century, five French overseas entities -- French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, and Reunion -- became French regions and were made part of France proper.
Geography & Climate6 facts
- Location
- metropolitan France: Western Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay and English Channel, between Belgium and Spain, southeast of the UK; bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Italy and Spain French Guiana: Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Brazil and Suriname Guadeloupe: Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Puerto Rico Martinique: Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago Mayotte: Southern Indian Ocean, island in the Mozambique Channel, about halfway between northern Madagascar and northern Mozambique Reunion: Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar
- Climate
- metropolitan France: generally cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and hot summers along the Mediterranean; occasional strong, cold, dry, north-to-northwesterly wind known as the mistral
- Terrain
- metropolitan France: mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in north and west; remainder is mountainous, especially Pyrenees in south, Alps in east French Guiana: low-lying coastal plains rising to hills and small mountains Guadeloupe: Basse-Terre is volcanic in origin with interior mountains; Grande-Terre is low limestone formation; most of the seven other islands are volcanic in origin Martinique: mountainous with indented coastline; dormant volcano Mayotte: generally undulating, with deep ravines and ancient volcanic peaks Reunion: mostly rugged and mountainous; fertile lowlands along coast
- Natural Resources
- metropolitan France: coal, iron ore, bauxite, zinc, uranium, antimony, arsenic, potash, feldspar, fluorspar, gypsum, timber, arable land, fish; French Guiana: gold deposits, petroleum, kaolin, niobium, tantalum, clay
- Natural Hazards
- metropolitan France: flooding; avalanches; midwinter windstorms; drought; forest fires in south overseas departments: hurricanes (cyclones); flooding volcanism: Montagne Pelée (1,394 m) on the island of Martinique in the Caribbean is the most active volcano of the Lesser Antilles arc, although it last erupted in 1932; a catastrophic eruption in 1902 destroyed the city of St. Pierre, killing an estimated 30,000 people; La Soufrière (1,467 m) on the island of Guadeloupe has also had explosive eruptions in recent years
- Size Comparison
- slightly more than four times the size of Georgia; slightly less than the size of Texas
People & Culture4 facts
- Languages
- French (official) 100%, declining regional dialects and languages (Provençal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish, Occitan, Picard)
- Religions
- Roman Catholic 47%, Muslim 4%, Protestant 2%, Buddhist 2%, Orthodox 1%, Jewish 1%, other 1%, none 33%, unspecified 9% (2021 est.)
- Ethnic Groups
- Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African (Algerian, Moroccan, Tunisian), Indochinese, Basque minorities
- Major Cities
- 11.208 million PARIS (capital), 1.761 million Lyon, 1.628 million Marseille-Aix-en-Provence, 1.079 million Lille, 1.060 million Toulouse, 1.000 million Bordeaux (2023)
Government & History10 facts
- Government Type
- semi-presidential republic
- Capital
- Paris
- Capital Coordinates
- 48 52 N, 2 20 E
- Capital Timezone
- UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Official Name
- French Republic
- Name Origin
- derives from the Latin name Francia, meaning "Land of the Franks"; the Franks were a group of Germanic tribes located along the middle and lower Rhine River in the 3rd century A.D.; the origin of the tribal name is unclear but may come from the Old German word franka, meaning "brave," or from a personal name such as Francio or Francus
- Independence
- no official date of independence: 486 (Frankish tribes unified under Merovingian kingship); 10 August 843 (Western Francia established from the division of the Carolingian Empire); 14 July 1789 (French monarchy overthrown); 22 September 1792 (First French Republic established); 4 October 1958 (Fifth French Republic established)
- National Symbols
- Gallic rooster, fleur-de-lis, Marianne (female personification of the country)
- National Anthem
- "La Marseillaise" (The Song of Marseille)
- UNESCO Heritage
- 54 (46 cultural, 7 natural, 1 mixed); note - includes one site in New Caledonia and one site in French Polynesia
Economy & Trade7 facts
- Overview
- high-income, advanced EU economy and eurozone member; strong tourism, aircraft manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and industrial sectors; high public debt; ongoing pension reform efforts; transitioning to a green economy via "France 2030" strategy
- Industries
- machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft, electronics, textiles, food processing, tourism
- Agricultural Products
- wheat, sugar beets, milk, maize, barley, potatoes, grapes, rapeseed, pork, sunflower seeds (2023)
- Export Partners
- Germany 11%, Italy 9%, USA 8%, Belgium 8%, Spain 7% (2023)
- Export Commodities
- aircraft, cars, packaged medicine, gas turbines, vehicle parts/accessories (2023)
- Import Partners
- Germany 15%, Belgium 11%, Netherlands 9%, Spain 8%, Italy 8% (2023)
- Import Commodities
- cars, natural gas, crude petroleum, refined petroleum, garments (2023)
Infrastructure & Defense5 facts
- Military Forces
- French Armed Forces (Forces Armées Françaises): Army (l'Armee de Terre; includes Foreign Legion), Navy (Marine Nationale), Air and Space Force (l'Armee de l’Air et de l’Espace); includes Air Defense), National Guard (Garde Nationale), National Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie Nationale) (2025)
- Military Service
- generally 17-30 years of age for both men and women with some variations by service, position, and enlisted versus officer; 17-40 for National Gendarmerie; basic service contract is for 12 months; no conscription (abolished 2001) (2025)
- Energy Mix
- fossil fuels: 7.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); nuclear: 63.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 4.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); wind: 10.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); hydroelectricity: 10.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); tide and wave: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); biomass and waste: 2.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Broadcast Media
- a mix of both publicly operated and privately owned TV stations; state-owned TV stations operate 4 networks and have part-interest in several thematic cable/satellite channels and international channels; large number of privately owned regional and local TV stations; multi-channel satellite and cable services; public broadcaster Radio France operates 7 national networks, a series of regional networks, and services for overseas territories and foreign audiences; Radio France Internationale, under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is a leading international broadcaster; large number of commercial FM stations
- Space Program
- has one of Europe's largest space programs and is one of the top contributors to the ESA; has independent capabilities in all areas, except for autonomous manned space flight; can build, launch, and operate a range of space/satellite launch vehicles (SLVs) and spacecraft, including exploratory probes and a full spectrum of satellites; shifted astronaut training to ESA in 2001; hosts the ESA headquarters and its space launch facility; participates in international space programs such as the Square Kilometer Array radio telescope and International Space Station; works with a broad range of space agencies and commercial space companies, including those of China, Egypt, individual ESA and EU member countries, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Mexico, Russia, the UAE, the US, and several African countries; has a large commercial space sector involved in satellite construction and payloads, launch capabilities, and a range of other space-related capabilities and technologies (2025)
Source:World Factbook archive 2026
Data vault
Deep Dive
Every tracked stat, grouped for fast scanning.
Energy2 statsBest: #1
Nuclear Electricity Share
64.8%#1
Electric Generating Capacity
151.46M kW#9
Lifestyle5 statsBest: #1
Education & Future8 statsBest: #2
Leisure Time
Domestic Patents
Human Development Index
R&D Spending (% GDP)
Foreign Patents
Education Spending (% GDP)
Life Expectancy
University Enrollment Rate
Infrastructure3 statsBest: #6
Wealth & Economy13 statsBest: #7
GDP (Nominal)
Government Debt (% GDP)
High-Tech Exports (%)
GDP Per Capita
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
Long-Term Unemployment
Youth Unemployment Rate
Unemployment Rate
FDI Inflows (% GDP)
Employment Rate (%)
Inflation Rate
GDP Growth Rate
Gender Pay Gap (%)
Health & Survival9 statsBest: #9
Health Spending (% GDP)
Life Expectancy
Smoking Rate
Hospital Beds (per 1,000)
Suicide Rate
Doctors (per 1,000)
Obesity Rate
Child Mortality
Infant Mortality
Society & Equality6 statsBest: #16
Demographics12 statsBest: #16
Elderly Population (%)
Population
Death Rate
Median Age
Land Area
Dependency Ratio
Urban Population (%)
Population Density
Fertility Rate
Birth Rate
Youth Population (%)
Teen Birth Rate
Military & Defense2 statsBest: #23
Environment9 statsBest: #24
Total CO2 Emissions
Irrigated Land
14.2K km²#32
Forest Area
Electricity Access (%)
Protected Land (%)
CO2 Per Capita
Renewable Energy (%)
Forest Coverage (%)
Air Pollution (PM2.5)
Land & Sea4 statsBest: #29
Coastline Length
4.9K km#29
Highest Elevation
4.8K m#30
Land Border Length
4.0K km#53
Lowest Elevation
-2 m#207
Keep exploring
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France
#17 in Life Expectancy
Average number of years a newborn would be expected to live if current mortality patterns stayed the same, from Our World in Data.
Top 10% globally
83.3 years
Frequently Asked Questions about France
What is the population of France?
France has a population of 68.51M, ranking #23 globally by population.
What continent is France in?
France is located in Europe. It has an area of 543,908 km².
What is the life expectancy in France?
Life expectancy in France is 82.9 years, ranking #23 globally.
What is the GDP per capita of France?
France's GDP per capita (PPP) is $61,290.42, ranking #32 globally.
What is France known for in global statistics?
France ranks particularly high in Life Expectancy (#17), Population (#23), Life Expectancy (#23).
What is France's Human Development Index?
France has an HDI of 0.920, ranking #26 globally. The HDI combines life expectancy, education, and income indicators.
How densely populated is France?
France has a population density of 126.9 people per km², ranking #86 globally.