Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
France fits inside India 5.4 times
France: 606,410 km² (2024) · India: 3,287,260 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
India’s coastline is 44% longer than France’s
France: 4,853 km (2026 edition) · India: 7,000 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
India’s highest peak towers 3,776 m above France’s
France: 4,810 m (2026 edition) · India: 8,586 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 60% of India, versus 53% of France
France: 52.8% (2024) · India: 59.9% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
India has 21 times as many people as France
France: 68.7 million (2025) · India: 1.46 billion (2025)
How crowded is it?
India is 3.9 times as densely populated as France
France: 128 per km² (2025) · India: 492 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in France are 12.1 cm taller than in India
France: 178.6 cm (2019) · India: 166.5 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in France are 9.3 cm taller than in India
France: 164.5 cm (2019) · India: 155.2 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in France is 14 years older than in India
France: 41.8 years (2023) · India: 28.1 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in India have 0.4 more children on average than in France
France: 1.61 children per woman (2024) · India: 1.96 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
23% of people in France are 65 or older, versus 7.4% in India
France: 22.5% (2025) · India: 7.4% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
France hosts 70 times as many refugees per resident as India
France: 11.5 per 1,000 (2025) · India: 0.2 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
France has produced 9.5 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, India 0.1
France: 9.5 (2026) · India: 0.1 (2026)
How many official languages?
India has 3 official languages, France 1
France: 1 (2026) · India: 3 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
India’s economy is 18% larger than France’s
France: $3.37 trillion (2025) · India: $3.96 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
France produces 5.4 times as much per person as India
France: Int$63,975 (2025) · India: Int$11,748 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in France than in India (Gini 8.8 points higher)
France: 31.8 (2023) · India: 23 (2023)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
2.6% of people in India live on less than $3 a day, versus 0.1% in France
France: 0.1% (2023) · India: 2.6% (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 7.5% in France, versus 4.2% in India
France: 7.5% (2025) · India: 4.2% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
India and France are practically level
France: 2% (2025) · India: 2.3% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
France’s central government collects 23% of GDP in tax, India’s 6.9%
France: 22.8% (2024) · India: 6.9% (2022)
How expensive is it?
France’s price level (US = 100) is 3.3× India’s
France: 77% (2025) · India: 23% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
France spends 63 times as much on health per person as India
France: $5,327 (2024) · India: $85 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in France live 11 years longer than in India
France: 83 years (2024) · India: 72.2 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in India is 6.9 times as likely to die before turning one as in France
France: 3.4 per 1,000 (2024) · India: 23.3 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
France has 4.5 times as many doctors per person as India
France: 3.3 per 1,000 (2022) · India: 0.7 per 1,000 (2020)
How many hospital beds are there?
France has 3.6 times as many hospital beds per person as India
France: 5.7 per 1,000 (2022) · India: 1.6 per 1,000 (2021)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in India is 10% higher than in France
France: 13.9 per 100k (2023) · India: 15.3 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
13% of adults in France are obese, versus 8.0% in India
France: 12.5% (2024) · India: 8% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
34% of adults in France smoke, versus 23% in India
France: 33.6% (2024) · India: 22.6% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in France rate their lives 2.05 points higher than in India
France: 6.59 (2025) · India: 4.54 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in France drink 2.1 times as much alcohol as in India
France: 11.2 litres (2023) · India: 5.2 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
France has 9.9 times as much meat per person as India
France: 80.3 kg (2023) · India: 8.1 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
France has 821 kcal more food per person per day than India
France: 3,490 kcal (2023) · India: 2,669 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in India put in 895 more hours a year than in France
France: 1,487 hours (2023) · India: 2,383 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in France went to school 4.9 years longer than in India
France: 11.8 years (2023) · India: 6.9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
France welcomed 199 times as many tourists per resident as India (2019)
France: 1.35 (2019) · India: 0.01 (2024)
How many World Heritage sites?
France has 11 more World Heritage sites than India (56 against 45)
France: 56 (2026) · India: 45 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
France has won 985 Olympic medals, India 41
France: 985 (2026 edition) · India: 41 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
89% of people in France are online, versus 70% in India
France: 89% (2024) · India: 70% (2025)
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in France is 5.1 times as fast as in India
France: 460 Mbps (2026) · India: 91 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
France and India are practically level
France: 100% (2024) · India: 99.9% (2024)
How many live in cities?
79% of people in France live in cities, versus 36% in India
France: 79% (2025) · India: 36% (2025)
How many phones per person?
France has 117 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, India 79
France: 117 (2023) · India: 79 (2024)
How much railway is there?
India’s railway network is 2.5 times as long as France’s
France: 27,716 km (2021) · India: 68,103 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from France fly 7.6 times as many passengers per resident as those from India
France: 0.94 (2023) · India: 0.12 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 33% of France, but only 24% of India
France: 32.9% (2024) · India: 24.4% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in France emits 80% more CO₂ than someone in India
France: 4 t (2024) · India: 2.2 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
26% of France’s electricity is renewable, versus 24% in India
France: 26.1% (2025) · India: 24.1% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in India carries 5 times as much fine dust as in France
France: 8.9 µg/m³ (2024) · India: 44.2 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 2.1 times as likely to be murdered in India as in France
France: 1.3 per 100k (2024) · India: 2.8 per 100k (2022)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in India are 3.3 times as deadly as in France
France: 7.6 per 100k (2023) · India: 25.4 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
India is on average 10.3 °C warmer than France
France: 14.1°C (2016–2025 avg) · India: 24.5°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
India gets 10% more rain than France
France: 1,158 mm (2016–2025 avg) · India: 1,268 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is France bigger than India?
India is larger. France fits inside India 5.4 times.
Which has more people, France or India?
India has 21 times as many people as France (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, France or India?
People in France live 11 years longer than in India. Life expectancy at birth is 83.0 years in France and 72.2 in India.
Are people taller in France or India?
Men in France are 12.1 cm taller than in India (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
