France vs United Kingdom: Compare Statistics
Side-by-side comparison of 178 key metrics across economy, population, geography, and more ā latest data through 2026.
Summary
United Kingdom and France have similar populations (69.96 million vs 66.75 million). United Kingdom's economy is 22% larger than France's ($4.1 trillion vs $3.37 trillion GDP).
Comparing France and United Kingdom: France leads on Oil Exports (487,200) against United Kingdom (1.31); France leads on Oil Production (84,820) against United Kingdom (1.39); France leads on Oil Proved Reserves (91.63) against United Kingdom (2.86). Across 178 compared metrics, France wins on 95 and United Kingdom wins on 71.
- Communications: 9 metrics compared
- Economy: 68 metrics compared
- Environment: 11 metrics compared
- Geography: 7 metrics compared
- Government: 9 metrics compared
- Health: 25 metrics compared
- Military and Security: 3 metrics compared
- People and Society: 40 metrics compared
- Transportation: 5 metrics compared
- Travel and Tourism: 1 metric compared
Communications
9 metrics| Metric | š«š· France | š¬š§ United Kingdom | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed Broadband Penetration | 48.93 subscriptions per 100 inhabitantsā | 42.16 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants | |
| Internet Penetration Rate (%) | 88.65 % | 95.47 %ā | |
| Internet Usage Rate by Country (% of Population) | 86.84 % | 96.3 %ā | |
| Internet Users | percent of population: 87% (2023 est.) | percent of population: 96% (2023 est.) | |
| Mobile Internet Speed | 48.93 Mbpsā | 42.16 Mbps | |
| Press Freedom Index Score | 76.62 points | 78.89 pointsā | |
| Radios | 55.3 | 84.5ā | |
| Televisions | 34.8ā | 30.5 | |
| Waterways | metropolitan France: 8,501 km (1,621 km navigable by craft up to 3,000 metric tons) (2010) | 3,200 |
Economy
68 metricsEnvironment
11 metrics| Metric | š«š· France | š¬š§ United Kingdom | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual COā Emissions Growth (abs) | -6.11Mā | 5.08M | |
| Annual Forest Area Change Rate | 89,400 %ā | 12,600 % | |
| Average Annual Temperature | 14.22 Ā°Cā | 10.37 Ā°C | |
| Carbon Dioxide Emissions | 303.78ā | 340.94 | |
| Global Precipitation Distribution | 1,137.85 mmā | 962.53 mm | |
| 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 core of the population lies in and around London, with significant clusters found in central Britain around Manchester and Liverpool, in the Scottish lowlands between Edinburgh and Glasgow, in southern Wales in and around Cardiff, and in far-eastern N | |
| Protected Land Area for Adaptation | 28.98 sq kmā | 28.58 sq km | |
| Protected Land Area Percentage | 28.8 %ā | 28.4 % | |
| Total Renewable Groundwater Resources by Country | 120 Cubic meters per yearā | 9.8 Cubic meters per year | |
| Total Renewable Water Resources | 211ā | 147 | |
| Total Threatened Mammal Species | 13 species | 4 speciesā |
Geography
7 metrics| Metric | š«š· France | š¬š§ United Kingdom | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of land area by degree of urbanization | 4.22 % | 9.75 %ā | |
| Above-Ground Biomass in Forest (tonnes/ha) | 135.5ā | 115 | |
| Agricultural land | 281,003.2 sq. kmā | 172,448.2 sq. km | |
| Airports per 1,000 Sq Km | 538,950ā | 241,930 | |
| Coastline Length (km) | 4,853 km | 12,429 kmā | |
| Dam capacity per capita | 148.88 cubic meters per inhabitantā | 75.83 cubic meters per inhabitant | |
| Irrigated Land | 14,236ā | 718 |
Government
9 metrics| Metric | š«š· France | š¬š§ United Kingdom | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rule of Law Index by Country | 82.08 % | 86.77 %ā | |
| Administrative Divisions | 18 | England: 24 two-tier counties, 32 London boroughs and 1 City of London or Greater London, 36 metropolitan districts, 59 unitary authorities (including 4 single-tier counties*) two-tier counties: Cambridgeshire, Cumbria, Derbyshire, Devon, East Sussex, Ess | |
| Corruption Perception Index | 67 indexā | 71 index | |
| Corruption Perceptions Index Score | 67 index | 71 indexā | |
| 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 | no official date of independence: 927 (minor English kingdoms unite); 3 March 1284 (enactment of the Statute of Rhuddlan uniting England and Wales); 1536 (Act of Union incorporates England and Wales); 1 May 1707 (Acts of Union unite England, Scotland, and | |
| LGBT Rights Index Score | 9.83 | 10.98ā | |
| Prison Population Rate | 126 per 100,000ā | 139.33 per 100,000 | |
| Public Sector Corruption Perception | 67ā | 71 | |
| Suffrage Participation Rate | 18 | 18 |
Health
25 metricsMilitary and Security
3 metrics| Metric | š«š· France | š¬š§ United Kingdom | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Military Personnel | 203,000 personnelā | 150,000 personnel | |
| Military Expenditure (% of GDP) | 2.03 %ā | 2.35 % | |
| Total Armed Forces Personnel (PPP) | 304,000ā | 153,000 |
People and Society
40 metrics| Metric | š«š· France | š¬š§ United Kingdom | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Currently married (Percent) | 52.51 %ā | 46.59 % | |
| Human Capital Index | 0.76 | 0.79ā | |
| Life expectancy at birth | 86.69 yearsā | 83.69 years | |
| Median age of population | 42.51 yearsā | 40.33 years | |
| Population Change | 62,507.4 persons | 377,688.2 personsā | |
| Population density | 121.19 per sq. kmā | 288.63 per sq. km | |
| Total population | 66.75M persons | 69.96M personsā | |
| Academic Freedom Index | 0.8ā | 0.67 | |
| Average Female Breast Size by Country: Worldwide Data & Rankings | A-B | Cā | |
| Beer Consumption per Capita | 2.67 liters | 3.54 litersā | |
| Birth Rate (%) | 10.88 %ā | 10.76 % | |
| Contraceptive Prevalence Rate | NA | 76.1 % | |
| Crude Birth Rate | 9.7 per 1,000 people | 9.89 per 1,000 peopleā | |
| Death Rate (%) | 9.91 % | 9.25 %ā | |
| Education Expenditure (% of GDP) | 5.3 % of GDP | 5.9 % of GDPā | |
| Female population of reproductive age | 13.97M persons | 15.28M personsā | |
| Female Tertiary Enrollment Rate (%) | 80.53 % | 93.5 %ā | |
| Fixed Broadband Penetration Rate | 48.93 %ā | 42.16 % | |
| Global Average Sex Ratio at Birth | 104.82 male/female | 105.42 male/femaleā | |
| Human Development Index | 0.73 | 0.78ā | |
| Labor Force Participation Rate | 31.73 | 35.36ā | |
| Learning-adjusted years of school | 11.25 years | 11.65 yearsā | |
| Length of paid parental leave for mother | 180 daysā | 0 days | |
| Major Urban Areas Population | 11.21 peopleā | 9.65 people | |
| Mean Male Height (cm) | 179.74ā | 177.49 | |
| Mean Years of Schooling | 11.89 years | 12.9 yearsā | |
| 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 | 16 | |
| Old-Age Dependency Ratio | 35.31 % | 30.33 %ā | |
| Percentage of population by degree of urbanization | 62.53 % | 86.48 %ā | |
| Physician Density | 3.28 people/sq km | 3.3 people/sq kmā | |
| Population Growth Rate | 0.2 % | 0.4 %ā | |
| Population living in slums | 0 % | 0.16 %ā | |
| Primary School Pupil-Teacher Ratio | 18.18ā | 18.44 | |
| Total deaths | 607,731.9 personsā | 675,626.2 persons | |
| Total demand for family planning (Percent) | 70.02 % | 75.07 %ā | |
| Total fertility rate | 1.56 per womanā | 1.53 per woman | |
| Total net-migration | 66,501.8 persons | 375,700.7 personsā | |
| Under-five mortality rate | 3.49 per live birthsā | 4.03 per live births | |
| Urban Population Annual Growth Rate | 0.3 % | 0.39 %ā | |
| Voting Age Population | 60.95 millionsā | 52.79 millions |
Transportation
5 metrics| Metric | š«š· France | š¬š§ United Kingdom | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Travel Trips Per Capita (PPP) | 1.35 | 2.25ā | |
| Airports | 1,218ā | 1,057 | |
| Annual Human Space Visits (Total) | 1ā | 0 | |
| Civil Air Travel | 195 | 618ā | |
| Heliports | 405ā | 139 |
Travel and Tourism
1 metric| Metric | š«š· France | š¬š§ United Kingdom | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tourism Receipts per Capita | 85.94B USDā | 84.55B USD |
Frequently Asked Questions About France vs United Kingdom
Which has a larger population, France or United Kingdom?ā¾
United Kingdom. United Kingdom and France have similar populations (69.96 million vs 66.75 million). Data for 2026.
Which has a bigger economy, France or United Kingdom?ā¾
United Kingdom. United Kingdom's economy is 22% larger than France's ($4.1 trillion vs $3.37 trillion GDP). Data for 2026.
Which is richer per person, France or United Kingdom?ā¾
United Kingdom is richer per person: GDP per capita is about $58,622 in United Kingdom vs $50,501 in France (2026 GDP in current US dollars divided by population).