France vs United Kingdom: Compare Statistics
Side-by-side comparison of 111 key metrics across economy, population, geography, and more — latest data through 2026.
Summary
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 111 compared metrics, France wins on 57 and United Kingdom wins on 42.
- 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: 29 metrics compared
- Transportation: 5 metrics compared
Communications
6 metrics| Metric | 🇫🇷 France | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet Usage Rate by Country (% of Population) | 86.84 % | 96.3 %★ | |
| Internet Users | percent of population: 87% (2023 est.) | percent of population: 96% (2023 est.) | |
| Press Freedom Index Score | 76.62 points | 78.89 points★ | |
| Radios | 55.3 | 84.5★ | |
| Televisions | 34.8★ | 30.5 | |
| Waterways | metropolitan France: 8,501 km (1,621 km navigable by craft up to 3,000 metric tons) (2010) | 3,200 |
Economy
45 metricsEnvironment
5 metrics| Metric | 🇫🇷 France | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual CO₂ Emissions Growth (abs) | -6.11M★ | 5.08M | |
| Carbon Dioxide Emissions | 303.78★ | 340.94 | |
| 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 | |
| Total Renewable Groundwater Resources by Country | 120 Cubic meters per year★ | 9.8 Cubic meters per year | |
| Total Renewable Water Resources | 211★ | 147 |
Geography
6 metrics| Metric | 🇫🇷 France | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of land area by degree of urbanization | 4.22 % | 9.75 %★ | |
| Above-Ground Biomass in Forest (tonnes/ha) | 135.5★ | 115 | |
| Agricultural land | 281,003.2 sq. km★ | 172,448.2 sq. km | |
| Coastline Length (km) | 4,853 km | 12,429 km★ | |
| Dam capacity per capita | 148.88 cubic meters per inhabitant★ | 75.83 cubic meters per inhabitant | |
| Irrigated Land | 14,236★ | 718 |
Government
4 metrics| Metric | 🇫🇷 France | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rule of Law Index by Country | 82.08 % | 86.77 %★ | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| Suffrage Participation Rate | 18 | 18 |
Health
10 metrics| Metric | 🇫🇷 France | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes Deaths Per 100,000 (Age-Std) | 10.5 | 8.38★ | |
| Diabetes Prevalence (% of Population) | 6.5 | 7.4★ | |
| Health Expenditure (% of GDP) | 12.3 % of GDP★ | 11.3 % of GDP | |
| HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate | 0.3 % | NA | |
| Hospital Bed Density | 6 people/sq km★ | 2.4 people/sq km | |
| Maternal Mortality Ratio (%) | 7 %★ | 8 % | |
| Mean Age at First Birth | 28.9 | 29★ | |
| Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate (%) | 21.6 %★ | 27.8 % | |
| People Living With HIV/AIDS | 190,000 | NA | |
| Underweight Children Under 5 | NA | NA |
Military and Security
1 metric| Metric | 🇫🇷 France | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Armed Forces Personnel (PPP) | 304,000★ | 153,000 |
People and Society
29 metrics| Metric | 🇫🇷 France | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Currently married (Percent) | 52.51 %★ | 46.59 % | |
| Human Capital Index | 0.76 | 0.79★ | |
| Life expectancy at birth | 86.69 years★ | 83.69 years | |
| Median age of population | 42.51 years★ | 40.33 years | |
| Population Change | 62,507.4 persons | 377,688.2 persons★ | |
| Population density | 121.19 per sq. km★ | 288.63 per sq. km | |
| Total population | 66.75M persons | 69.96M persons★ | |
| Academic Freedom Index | 0.8★ | 0.67 | |
| Average Female Breast Size by Country: Worldwide Data & Rankings | A-B | C★ | |
| Birth Rate (%) | 10.88 %★ | 10.76 % | |
| Contraceptive Prevalence Rate | NA | 76.1 % | |
| Death Rate (%) | 9.91 % | 9.25 %★ | |
| Education Expenditure (% of GDP) | 5.3 % of GDP | 5.9 % of GDP★ | |
| Female population of reproductive age | 13.97M persons | 15.28M persons★ | |
| Labor Force Participation Rate | 31.73 | 35.36★ | |
| Learning-adjusted years of school | 11.25 years | 11.65 years★ | |
| Length of paid parental leave for mother | 180 days★ | 0 days | |
| Major Urban Areas Population | 11.21 people★ | 9.65 people | |
| Mean Male Height (cm) | 179.74★ | 177.49 | |
| 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 | |
| Percentage of population by degree of urbanization | 62.53 % | 86.48 %★ | |
| Physician Density | 3.28 people/sq km | 3.3 people/sq km★ | |
| Population Growth Rate | 0.2 % | 0.4 %★ | |
| Population living in slums | 0 % | 0.16 %★ | |
| Total deaths | 607,731.9 persons★ | 675,626.2 persons | |
| Total demand for family planning (Percent) | 70.02 % | 75.07 %★ | |
| Total fertility rate | 1.56 per woman★ | 1.53 per woman | |
| Total net-migration | 66,501.8 persons | 375,700.7 persons★ | |
| Under-five mortality rate | 3.49 per live births★ | 4.03 per live births |
Transportation
5 metrics| Metric | 🇫🇷 France | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Travel Trips Per Capita (PPP) | 1.35 | 2.25★ | |
| Airports | 1,218★ | 1,057 | |
| Annual Human Space Visits (Total) | 1★ | 0 | |
| Civil Air Travel | 195 | 618★ | |
| Heliports | 405★ | 139 |