Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
France is 70% bigger than Germany
France: 606,410 km² (2024) · Germany: 357,680 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
France’s coastline is 2 times as long as Germany’s
France: 4,853 km (2026 edition) · Germany: 2,389 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
France’s highest peak towers 1,847 m above Germany’s
France: 4,810 m (2026 edition) · Germany: 2,963 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 53% of France, versus 47% of Germany
France: 52.8% (2024) · Germany: 47.4% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Germany has 21% more people than France
France: 68.7 million (2025) · Germany: 83.5 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Germany is 87% more densely populated than France
France: 128 per km² (2025) · Germany: 239 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Germany are 1.7 cm taller than in France
France: 178.6 cm (2019) · Germany: 180.3 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Germany are 1.7 cm taller than in France
France: 164.5 cm (2019) · Germany: 166.2 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Germany is 3.3 years older than in France
France: 41.8 years (2023) · Germany: 45.1 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in France have 0.3 more children on average than in Germany
France: 1.61 children per woman (2024) · Germany: 1.36 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
24% of people in Germany are 65 or older, versus 23% in France
France: 22.5% (2025) · Germany: 23.7% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Germany hosts 2.8 times as many refugees per resident as France
France: 11.5 per 1,000 (2025) · Germany: 31.8 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Germany has produced 10.3 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, France 9.5
France: 9.5 (2026) · Germany: 10.3 (2026)
How many official languages?
France and Germany are practically level
France: 1 (2026) · Germany: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Germany’s economy is 50% larger than France’s
France: $3.37 trillion (2025) · Germany: $5.05 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Germany produces 18% more per person than France
France: Int$63,975 (2025) · Germany: Int$75,407 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Germany than in France (Gini 1.9 points higher)
France: 31.8 (2023) · Germany: 33.7 (2022)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
0.7% of people in Germany live on less than $3 a day, versus 0.1% in France
France: 0.1% (2023) · Germany: 0.7% (2022)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 7.5% in France, versus 3.7% in Germany
France: 7.5% (2025) · Germany: 3.7% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Germany and France are practically level
France: 2% (2025) · Germany: 2.3% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
France’s central government collects 23% of GDP in tax, Germany’s 11%
France: 22.8% (2024) · Germany: 10.9% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Germany’s price level (US = 100) is 1× France’s
France: 77% (2025) · Germany: 80% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Germany spends 29% more on health per person than France
France: $5,327 (2024) · Germany: $6,849 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in France live 2.2 years longer than in Germany
France: 83 years (2024) · Germany: 80.8 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in France is 10% more likely to die before turning one than in Germany
France: 3.4 per 1,000 (2024) · Germany: 3.1 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Germany has 38% more doctors per person than France
France: 3.3 per 1,000 (2022) · Germany: 4.5 per 1,000 (2022)
How many hospital beds are there?
Germany has 34% more hospital beds per person than France
France: 5.7 per 1,000 (2022) · Germany: 7.6 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in France is 39% higher than in Germany
France: 13.9 per 100k (2023) · Germany: 10 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
24% of adults in Germany are obese, versus 13% in France
France: 12.5% (2024) · Germany: 24.5% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
34% of adults in France smoke, versus 22% in Germany
France: 33.6% (2024) · Germany: 22% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Germany rate their lives 0.30 points higher than in France
France: 6.59 (2025) · Germany: 6.88 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in France drink 2% more alcohol than in Germany
France: 11.2 litres (2023) · Germany: 10.9 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
France has 14% more meat per person than Germany
France: 80.3 kg (2023) · Germany: 70.7 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Germany has 45 kcal more food per person per day than France
France: 3,490 kcal (2023) · Germany: 3,535 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in France put in 152 more hours a year than in Germany
France: 1,487 hours (2023) · Germany: 1,335 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Germany went to school 2.5 years longer than in France
France: 11.8 years (2023) · Germany: 14.3 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
France welcomed 3 times as many tourists per resident as Germany (2019)
France: 1.35 (2019) · Germany: 0.45 (2024)
How many World Heritage sites?
France has 1 more World Heritage site than Germany (56 against 55)
France: 56 (2026) · Germany: 55 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
France has won 985 Olympic medals, Germany 980
France: 985 (2026 edition) · Germany: 980 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
94% of people in Germany are online, versus 89% in France
France: 89% (2024) · Germany: 94% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in France is 2.5 times as fast as in Germany
France: 460 Mbps (2026) · Germany: 187 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
France and Germany are practically level
France: 100% (2024) · Germany: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
82% of people in Germany live in cities, versus 79% in France
France: 79% (2025) · Germany: 82% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Germany has 129 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, France 117
France: 117 (2023) · Germany: 129 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Germany’s railway network is 21% longer than France’s
France: 27,716 km (2021) · Germany: 33,401 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Germany fly 2% more passengers per resident than those from France
France: 0.94 (2023) · Germany: 0.96 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
France and Germany are practically level
France: 32.9% (2024) · Germany: 32.8% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Germany emits 71% more CO₂ than someone in France
France: 4 t (2024) · Germany: 6.8 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
59% of Germany’s electricity is renewable, versus 26% in France
France: 26.1% (2025) · Germany: 59.1% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Germany carries 2% more fine dust than in France
France: 8.9 µg/m³ (2024) · Germany: 9.1 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 48% more likely to be murdered in France than in Germany
France: 1.3 per 100k (2024) · Germany: 0.9 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in France are 41% deadlier than in Germany
France: 7.6 per 100k (2023) · Germany: 5.4 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
France is on average 3.9 °C warmer than Germany
France: 14.1°C (2016–2025 avg) · Germany: 10.3°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
France gets 33% more rain than Germany
France: 1,158 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Germany: 871 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is France bigger than Germany?
France is larger. France is 70% bigger than Germany.
Which has more people, France or Germany?
Germany has 21% more people than France (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, France or Germany?
People in France live 2.2 years longer than in Germany. Life expectancy at birth is 83.0 years in France and 80.8 in Germany.
Are people taller in France or Germany?
Men in Germany are 1.7 cm taller than in France (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
