Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
France fits inside China 16 times.
China: 9,562,910 km² (2023) · France: 606,410 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
China’s coastline is 3 times as long as France’s.
China: 14,500 km (2026 edition) · France: 4,853 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
China’s highest peak towers 4,039 m above France’s.
China: 8,849 m (2026 edition) · France: 4,810 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
China has 20 times as many people as France.
China: 1.41 billion (2025) · France: 68.7 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
China is 18% more densely populated than France.
China: 150 per km² (2025) · France: 128 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in France are 2.9 cm taller than in China.
China: 175.7 cm (2019) · France: 178.6 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in France are 1.0 cm taller than in China.
China: 163.5 cm (2019) · France: 164.5 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in France is 2.8 years older than in China.
China: 39.1 years (2023) · France: 41.8 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in France have 0.6 more children on average than in China.
China: 1.01 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 15% in China.
China: 14.9% (2025) · France: 22.5% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
France has produced 9.3 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, China 0.1.
China: 0.1 (2025) · France: 9.3 (2025)
How many official languages?
China and France are practically level.
China: 1 (2026) · France: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
China’s economy is 5.8 times the size of France’s.
China: $19.5 trillion (2025) · France: $3.37 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
France produces 2.2 times as much per person as China.
China: Int$29,333 (2025) · France: Int$63,975 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in China than in France (Gini 4.2 points higher).
China: 36 (2022) · France: 31.8 (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 7.5% in France, versus 4.6% in China.
China: 4.6% (2025) · France: 7.5% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
France and China are practically level.
China: 1.7% (2024) · France: 2.1% (2024)
How expensive is it?
France’s price level (US = 100) is 1.6× China’s.
China: 47% (2025) · France: 77% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
France spends 7 times as much on health per person as China.
China: $763 (2023) · France: $5,327 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in France live 5 years longer than in China.
China: 78 years (2024) · France: 83 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in China is 21% more likely to die before turning one than in France.
China: 4.1 per 1,000 (2024) · France: 3.4 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
France has 5% more doctors per person than China.
China: 3.1 per 1,000 (2022) · France: 3.3 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
13% of adults in France are obese, versus 9.1% in China.
China: 9.1% (2024) · France: 12.5% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
34% of adults in France smoke, versus 23% in China.
China: 22.8% (2024) · France: 33.6% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in France rate their lives 0.51 points higher than in China.
China: 6.07 (2025) · France: 6.59 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in France drink 3 times as much alcohol as in China.
China: 3.7 litres (2023) · France: 11.2 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
France has 9% more meat per person than China.
China: 73.5 kg (2023) · France: 80.3 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
China has 37 kcal more food per person per day than France.
China: 3,527 kcal (2023) · France: 3,490 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in China put in 841 more hours a year than in France.
China: 2,328 hours (2023) · France: 1,487 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in France went to school 3.7 years longer than in China.
China: 8 years (2023) · France: 11.8 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
France welcomed 29 times as many tourists per resident as China (2019).
China: 0.05 (2019) · France: 1.35 (2019)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
92% of people in China are online, versus 89% in France.
China: 92% (2025) · France: 89% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
China and France are practically level.
China: 100% (2024) · France: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
79% of people in France live in cities, versus 66% in China.
China: 66% (2025) · France: 79% (2025)
How many phones per person?
China has 132 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, France 117.
China: 132 (2024) · France: 117 (2023)
How much railway is there?
China’s railway network is 4 times as long as France’s.
China: 109,767 km (2021) · France: 27,716 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from France fly 2.1 times as many passengers per resident as those from China.
China: 0.44 (2023) · France: 0.94 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 32% of France, but only 24% of China.
China: 24% (2023) · France: 32.5% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in China emits 2.2 times as much CO₂ as someone in France.
China: 8.7 t (2024) · France: 4 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
37% of China’s electricity is renewable, versus 26% in France.
China: 37% (2025) · France: 26.1% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in China carries 3.5 times as much fine dust as in France.
China: 31.3 µg/m³ (2024) · France: 8.9 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 2.7 times as likely to be murdered in France as in China.
China: 0.5 per 100k (2020) · France: 1.3 per 100k (2024)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in China are 3.7 times as deadly as in France.
China: 17.4 per 100k (2021) · France: 4.7 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
France is on average 6.3 °C warmer than China.
China: 7.8°C (2016–2025 avg) · France: 14.1°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
France gets 42% more rain than China.
China: 813 mm (2016–2025 avg) · France: 1,158 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is China bigger than France?
China is larger. France fits inside China 16 times.
Which has more people, China or France?
China has 20 times as many people as France (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, China or France?
People in France live 5 years longer than in China. Life expectancy at birth is 78.0 years in China and 83.0 in France.
Are people taller in China or France?
Men in France are 2.9 cm taller than in China (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
