France vs South Korea: Compare Statistics
Side-by-side comparison of 112 key metrics across economy, population, geography, and more — latest data through 2026.
Summary
Comparing France and South Korea: France leads on Refined Petroleum Products Exports (440,600) against South Korea (1.40); South Korea leads on Natural Gas Production (339.80) against France (16.99); France leads on Agricultural land (281,003 sq. km) against South Korea (15,174 sq. km). Across 112 compared metrics, France wins on 52 and South Korea wins on 48.
- Communications: 6 metrics compared
- Economy: 45 metrics compared
- Environment: 5 metrics compared
- Geography: 6 metrics compared
- Government: 4 metrics compared
- Health: 10 metrics compared
- Military and Security: 1 metric compared
- People and Society: 30 metrics compared
- Transportation: 5 metrics compared
Communications
6 metrics| Metric | 🇫🇷 France | 🇰🇷 South Korea | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet Usage Rate by Country (% of Population) | 88.65 % | 97.9 %★ | |
| Internet Users | percent of population: 87% (2023 est.) | percent of population: 97% (2023 est.) | |
| Press Freedom Index Score | 76.62 points★ | 64.06 points | |
| Radios | 55.3★ | 47.5 | |
| Televisions | 34.8★ | 15.9 | |
| Waterways | metropolitan France: 8,501 km (1,621 km navigable by craft up to 3,000 metric tons) (2010) | 1,600 |
Economy
45 metricsEnvironment
5 metrics| Metric | 🇫🇷 France | 🇰🇷 South Korea | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual CO₂ Emissions Growth (abs) | -6.11M★ | -5.50M | |
| Carbon Dioxide Emissions | 303.78★ | 644.23 | |
| Population Distribution | 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 | the population is primarily concentrated in the lowland areas, where density is high; Gyeonggi Province in the northwest, which surrounds the capital of Seoul and contains the port of Incheon, is the most densely populated province; Gangwon in the northea | |
| Total Renewable Groundwater Resources by Country | 120 Cubic meters per year★ | 13.3 Cubic meters per year | |
| Total Renewable Water Resources | 211★ | 69.7 |
Geography
6 metrics| Metric | 🇫🇷 France | 🇰🇷 South Korea | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of land area by degree of urbanization | 4.22 % | 11.86 %★ | |
| Above-Ground Biomass in Forest (tonnes/ha) | 135.5★ | 131.69 | |
| Agricultural land | 281,003.2 sq. km★ | 15,174 sq. km | |
| Coastline Length (km) | 4,853 km★ | 2,413 km | |
| Dam capacity per capita | 148.88 cubic meters per inhabitant | 362.21 cubic meters per inhabitant★ | |
| Irrigated Land | 14,236★ | 7,780 |
Government
4 metrics| Metric | 🇫🇷 France | 🇰🇷 South Korea | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rule of Law Index by Country | 82.08 % | 85.98 %★ | |
| Administrative Divisions | 18★ | 9 | |
| 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 | 15 | |
| Suffrage Participation Rate | 18 | 18 |
Health
10 metrics| Metric | 🇫🇷 France | 🇰🇷 South Korea | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes Deaths Per 100,000 (Age-Std) | 10.94★ | 11.56 | |
| Diabetes Prevalence (% of Population) | 6.5 | 9.6★ | |
| Health Expenditure (% of GDP) | 12.3 % of GDP★ | 9.7 % of GDP | |
| HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate | 0.3 % | NA | |
| Hospital Bed Density | 6 people/sq km | 12.8 people/sq km★ | |
| Maternal Mortality Ratio (%) | 7 % | 4 %★ | |
| Mean Age at First Birth | 28.9 | 32.2★ | |
| Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate (%) | 21.6 % | 4.7 %★ | |
| People Living With HIV/AIDS | 190,000 | NA | |
| Underweight Children Under 5 | NA | 0.9 |
Military and Security
1 metric| Metric | 🇫🇷 France | 🇰🇷 South Korea | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Armed Forces Personnel (PPP) | 304,000 | 569,000★ |
People and Society
30 metrics| Metric | 🇫🇷 France | 🇰🇷 South Korea | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Currently married (Percent) | 52.51 %★ | 42.12 % | |
| Human Capital Index | 0.76 | 0.8★ | |
| Life expectancy at birth | 86.69 years | 87.65 years★ | |
| Median age of population | 42.51 years | 46.18 years★ | |
| Population Change | 62,507.4 persons★ | -34,023.3 persons | |
| Population density | 121.19 per sq. km★ | 521.76 per sq. km | |
| Total population | 66.75M persons★ | 51.62M persons | |
| Academic Freedom Index | 0.8 | 0.85★ | |
| Average Female Breast Size by Country: Worldwide Data & Rankings | A-B★ | AA-A | |
| Birth Rate (%) | 10.88 %★ | 4.29 % | |
| Contraceptive Prevalence Rate | NA | 82.3 % | |
| Death Rate (%) | 9.91 % | 6.94 %★ | |
| Education Expenditure (% of GDP) | 5.3 % of GDP | 5.8 % of GDP★ | |
| Female population of reproductive age | 13.97M persons★ | 10.86M persons | |
| Labor Force Participation Rate | 31.73★ | 29.71 | |
| Learning-adjusted years of school | 11.25 years | 11.74 years★ | |
| Length of paid parental leave for mother | 180 days | 365 days★ | |
| Major Urban Areas Population | 11.21 people★ | 9.99 people | |
| Mean Male Height (cm) | 179.74★ | 174.92 | |
| Military Manpower at Military Age | 18 | 18 | |
| Military Service Age and Obligation | 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 | 18 | |
| Percentage of population by degree of urbanization | 62.53 % | 90.48 %★ | |
| Physician Density | 3.28 people/sq km★ | 2.61 people/sq km | |
| Population Growth Rate | 0.2 %★ | -0.09 % | |
| Population living in slums | 0 % | 5.46 %★ | |
| Total deaths | 607,731.9 persons | 375,161.5 persons★ | |
| Total demand for family planning (Percent) | 70.02 %★ | 54.27 % | |
| Total fertility rate | 1.56 per woman★ | 0.72 per woman | |
| Total net-migration | 66,501.8 persons | 106,057.5 persons★ | |
| Under-five mortality rate | 3.49 per live births | 2.38 per live births★ |
Transportation
5 metrics| Metric | 🇫🇷 France | 🇰🇷 South Korea | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Travel Trips Per Capita (PPP) | 1.35★ | 1.32 | |
| Airports | 1,218★ | 92 | |
| Annual Human Space Visits (Total) | 1★ | 0 | |
| Civil Air Travel | 195★ | 93 | |
| Heliports | 405 | 1,280★ |