China vs France: Compare Statistics
Side-by-side comparison of 110 key metrics across economy, population, geography, and more — latest data through 2026.
Summary
Comparing China and France: France leads on Refined Petroleum Products Imports (886,800) against China (1.16); France leads on Oil Production (84,820) against China (4.27); France leads on Electricity Production (529.10) against China (5.88). Across 110 compared metrics, China wins on 51 and France wins on 48.
- Communications: 6 metrics compared
- Economy: 45 metrics compared
- Environment: 5 metrics compared
- Geography: 6 metrics compared
- Government: 4 metrics compared
- Health: 8 metrics compared
- Military and Security: 1 metric compared
- People and Society: 30 metrics compared
- Transportation: 5 metrics compared
Communications
6 metrics| Metric | 🇨🇳 China | 🇫🇷 France | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet Usage Rate by Country (% of Population) | 92 %★ | 88.65 % | |
| Internet Users | percent of population: 78% (2023 est.) | percent of population: 87% (2023 est.) | |
| Press Freedom Index Score | 14.8 points | 76.62 points★ | |
| Radios | 417★ | 55.3 | |
| Televisions | 400★ | 34.8 | |
| Waterways | 27,700 | metropolitan France: 8,501 km (1,621 km navigable by craft up to 3,000 metric tons) (2010) |
Economy
45 metricsEnvironment
5 metrics| Metric | 🇨🇳 China | 🇫🇷 France | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual CO₂ Emissions Growth (abs) | 117.03M | -6.11M★ | |
| Carbon Dioxide Emissions | 12.2★ | 303.78 | |
| Population Distribution | overwhelming majority of the population is found in the eastern half of the country; the west, with its vast mountainous and desert areas, remains sparsely populated; though ranked first in the world in total population, overall density is less than that | much of the population is concentrated in the north and southeast; although there are many urban agglomerations throughout the country, Paris is by far the largest city, with Lyon ranked a distant second | |
| Total Renewable Groundwater Resources by Country | 828.8 Cubic meters per year★ | 120 Cubic meters per year | |
| Total Renewable Water Resources | 2.84 | 211★ |
Geography
6 metrics| Metric | 🇨🇳 China | 🇫🇷 France | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of land area by degree of urbanization | 6.74 %★ | 4.22 % | |
| Above-Ground Biomass in Forest (tonnes/ha) | 64.72 | 135.5★ | |
| Agricultural land | 5.19M sq. km★ | 281,003.2 sq. km | |
| Coastline Length (km) | 14,500 km★ | 4,853 km | |
| Dam capacity per capita | 566.97 cubic meters per inhabitant★ | 148.88 cubic meters per inhabitant | |
| Irrigated Land | 690,070★ | 14,236 |
Government
4 metrics| Metric | 🇨🇳 China | 🇫🇷 France | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rule of Law Index by Country | 59.71 % | 82.08 %★ | |
| Administrative Divisions | 23★ | 18 | |
| Independence | 1 | 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 | |
| Suffrage Participation Rate | 18 | 18 |
Health
8 metrics| Metric | 🇨🇳 China | 🇫🇷 France | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes Prevalence (% of Population) | 11.9★ | 6.5 | |
| Health Expenditure (% of GDP) | 5.4 % of GDP | 12.3 % of GDP★ | |
| HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate | NA | 0.3 % | |
| Hospital Bed Density | 5 people/sq km | 6 people/sq km★ | |
| Maternal Mortality Ratio (%) | 16 % | 7 %★ | |
| Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate (%) | 6.2 %★ | 21.6 % | |
| People Living With HIV/AIDS | NA | 190,000 | |
| Underweight Children Under 5 | 2.4 | NA |
Military and Security
1 metric| Metric | 🇨🇳 China | 🇫🇷 France | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Armed Forces Personnel (PPP) | 2.54M★ | 304,000 |
People and Society
30 metrics| Metric | 🇨🇳 China | 🇫🇷 France | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Currently married (Percent) | 66.52 %★ | 52.51 % | |
| Human Capital Index | 0.67 | 0.76★ | |
| Life expectancy at birth | 81.19 years | 86.69 years★ | |
| Median age of population | 40.64 years | 42.51 years★ | |
| Population Change | -4.42M persons | 62,507.4 persons★ | |
| Population density | 147.29 per sq. km | 121.19 per sq. km★ | |
| Total population | 1.41B persons★ | 66.75M persons | |
| Academic Freedom Index | 0.07 | 0.8★ | |
| Average Female Breast Size by Country: Worldwide Data & Rankings | AA-A | A-B★ | |
| Birth Rate (%) | 7.28 % | 10.88 %★ | |
| Contraceptive Prevalence Rate | 84.5 % | NA | |
| Death Rate (%) | 7.97 %★ | 9.91 % | |
| Education Expenditure (% of GDP) | 4 % of GDP | 5.3 % of GDP★ | |
| Female population of reproductive age | 308.96M persons★ | 13.97M persons | |
| Labor Force Participation Rate | 773.88★ | 31.73 | |
| Learning-adjusted years of school | 8.55 years | 11.25 years★ | |
| Length of paid parental leave for mother | 0 days | 180 days★ | |
| Major Urban Areas Population | 29.21 people★ | 11.21 people | |
| Mean Male Height (cm) | 171.83 | 179.74★ | |
| Military Manpower at Military Age | 18 | 18 | |
| Military Service Age and Obligation | 18 | 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) note 1: a 10-month | |
| Percentage of population by degree of urbanization | 83.73 %★ | 62.53 % | |
| Physician Density | 3.11 people/sq km | 3.28 people/sq km★ | |
| Population Growth Rate | -0.08 % | 0.2 %★ | |
| Population living in slums | 26.32 %★ | 0 % | |
| Total deaths | 12.15M persons | 607,731.9 persons★ | |
| Total demand for family planning (Percent) | 70.06 %★ | 70.02 % | |
| Total fertility rate | 0.97 per woman | 1.56 per woman★ | |
| Total net-migration | -306,257.4 persons | 66,501.8 persons★ | |
| Under-five mortality rate | 7.94 per live births | 3.49 per live births★ |
Transportation
5 metrics| Metric | 🇨🇳 China | 🇫🇷 France | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Travel Trips Per Capita (PPP) | 0.46 | 1.35★ | |
| Airports | 552 | 1,218★ | |
| Annual Human Space Visits (Total) | 0 | 1★ | |
| Civil Air Travel | 284★ | 195 | |
| Heliports | 120 | 405★ |