Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
France fits inside Canada 26 times.
Canada: 15,634,400 km² (2023) · France: 606,410 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Canada’s coastline is 42 times as long as France’s.
Canada: 202,080 km (2026 edition) · France: 4,853 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Canada’s highest peak towers 1,149 m above France’s.
Canada: 5,959 m (2026 edition) · France: 4,810 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
France has 65% more people than Canada.
Canada: 41.7 million (2025) · France: 68.7 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
France is 27 times as densely populated as Canada.
Canada: 5 per km² (2025) · France: 128 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Canada and France are practically level.
Canada: 178.8 cm (2019) · France: 178.6 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Canada and France are practically level.
Canada: 164.7 cm (2019) · France: 164.5 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in France is 1.5 years older than in Canada.
Canada: 40.3 years (2023) · France: 41.8 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in France have 0.4 more children on average than in Canada.
Canada: 1.25 children per woman (2024) · France: 1.61 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
23% of people in France are 65 or older, versus 20% in Canada.
Canada: 20.3% (2025) · France: 22.5% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
France has produced 9.3 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Canada 5.3.
Canada: 5.3 (2025) · France: 9.3 (2025)
How many official languages?
Canada has 2 official languages, France 1.
Canada: 2 (2026) · France: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
France’s economy is 45% larger than Canada’s.
Canada: $2.32 trillion (2025) · France: $3.37 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Canada produces 4% more per person than France.
Canada: Int$66,746 (2025) · France: Int$63,975 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in France than in Canada (Gini 0.3 points higher).
Canada: 31.5 (2022) · France: 31.8 (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 7.5% in France, versus 6.9% in Canada.
Canada: 6.9% (2025) · France: 7.5% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
France spends 2.1% of its GDP on the military, Canada 1.3%.
Canada: 1.3% (2024) · France: 2.1% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Canada’s price level (US = 100) is 1.1× France’s.
Canada: 83% (2025) · France: 77% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Canada spends 20% more on health per person than France.
Canada: $6,378 (2024) · France: $5,327 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in France live 0.87 years longer than in Canada.
Canada: 82.1 years (2024) · France: 83 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Canada is 38% more likely to die before turning one than in France.
Canada: 4.7 per 1,000 (2024) · France: 3.4 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
France has 16% more doctors per person than Canada.
Canada: 2.8 per 1,000 (2023) · France: 3.3 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
27% of adults in Canada are obese, versus 13% in France.
Canada: 27.1% (2024) · France: 12.5% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
34% of adults in France smoke, versus 11% in Canada.
Canada: 11.2% (2024) · France: 33.6% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Canada rate their lives 0.15 points higher than in France.
Canada: 6.74 (2025) · France: 6.59 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in France drink 21% more alcohol than in Canada.
Canada: 9.2 litres (2023) · France: 11.2 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Canada has 18% more meat per person than France.
Canada: 94.8 kg (2023) · France: 80.3 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Canada has 100 kcal more food per person per day than France.
Canada: 3,590 kcal (2023) · France: 3,490 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Canada put in 244 more hours a year than in France.
Canada: 1,731 hours (2023) · France: 1,487 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Canada went to school 2.1 years longer than in France.
Canada: 13.9 years (2023) · France: 11.8 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
France welcomed 2.8 times as many tourists per resident as Canada (2019).
Canada: 0.48 (2024) · France: 1.35 (2019)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
94% of people in Canada are online, versus 89% in France.
Canada: 94% (2024) · France: 89% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Canada and France are practically level.
Canada: 100% (2024) · France: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
83% of people in Canada live in cities, versus 79% in France.
Canada: 83% (2025) · France: 79% (2025)
How many phones per person?
France has 117 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Canada 94.
Canada: 94 (2024) · France: 117 (2023)
How much railway is there?
Canada’s railway network is 74% longer than France’s.
Canada: 48,150 km (2021) · France: 27,716 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Canada fly 2.3 times as many passengers per resident as those from France.
Canada: 2.13 (2023) · France: 0.94 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 39% of Canada, but only 32% of France.
Canada: 39.5% (2023) · France: 32.5% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Canada emits 3.4 times as much CO₂ as someone in France.
Canada: 13.4 t (2024) · France: 4 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
64% of Canada’s electricity is renewable, versus 26% in France.
Canada: 63.9% (2025) · France: 26.1% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in France carries 27% more fine dust than in Canada.
Canada: 7 µg/m³ (2024) · France: 8.9 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 47% more likely to be murdered in Canada than in France.
Canada: 2 per 100k (2023) · France: 1.3 per 100k (2024)
How dangerous are the roads?
Canada and France are nearly identical here.
Canada: 4.7 per 100k (2021) · France: 4.7 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
France is on average 17.1 °C warmer than Canada.
Canada: -3°C (2016–2025 avg) · France: 14.1°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
France gets 70% more rain than Canada.
Canada: 683 mm (2016–2025 avg) · France: 1,158 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Canada bigger than France?
Canada is larger. France fits inside Canada 26 times.
Which has more people, Canada or France?
France has 65% more people than Canada (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Canada or France?
People in France live 0.87 years longer than in Canada. Life expectancy at birth is 82.1 years in Canada and 83.0 in France.
Are people taller in Canada or France?
Canada and France are practically level (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
