Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Israel fits inside France 27 times.
France: 606,410 km² (2023) · Israel: 22,070 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
France’s coastline is 18 times as long as Israel’s.
France: 4,853 km (2026 edition) · Israel: 273 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
France’s highest peak towers 2,574 m above Israel’s.
France: 4,810 m (2026 edition) · Israel: 2,236 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
France has 6.8 times as many people as Israel.
France: 68.7 million (2025) · Israel: 10.1 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Israel is 3.7 times as densely populated as France.
France: 128 per km² (2025) · Israel: 468 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in France are 2.6 cm taller than in Israel.
France: 178.6 cm (2019) · Israel: 176 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in France are 2.3 cm taller than in Israel.
France: 164.5 cm (2019) · Israel: 162.2 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in France is 13 years older than in Israel.
France: 41.8 years (2023) · Israel: 29.2 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Israel have 1.3 more children on average than in France.
France: 1.61 children per woman (2024) · Israel: 2.87 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
23% of people in France are 65 or older, versus 13% in Israel.
France: 22.5% (2025) · Israel: 12.7% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
France has produced 9.3 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Israel 5.9.
France: 9.3 (2025) · Israel: 5.9 (2025)
How many official languages?
Israel has 2 official languages, France 1.
France: 1 (2026) · Israel: 2 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
France’s economy is 5.5 times the size of Israel’s.
France: $3.37 trillion (2025) · Israel: $611 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
France produces 7% more per person than Israel.
France: Int$63,975 (2025) · Israel: Int$59,717 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Israel than in France (Gini 6.5 points higher).
France: 31.8 (2023) · Israel: 38.3 (2022)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 7.5% in France, versus 3.5% in Israel.
France: 7.5% (2025) · Israel: 3.5% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Israel spends 8.8% of its GDP on the military, France 2.1%.
France: 2.1% (2024) · Israel: 8.8% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Israel’s price level (US = 100) is 1.3× France’s.
France: 77% (2025) · Israel: 101% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
France spends 36% more on health per person than Israel.
France: $5,327 (2024) · Israel: $3,928 (2023)
How long do people live?
Israel and France are practically level.
France: 83 years (2024) · Israel: 83.2 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in France is 26% more likely to die before turning one than in Israel.
France: 3.4 per 1,000 (2024) · Israel: 2.7 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Israel has 16% more doctors per person than France.
France: 3.3 per 1,000 (2022) · Israel: 3.8 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is obesity?
23% of adults in Israel are obese, versus 13% in France.
France: 12.5% (2024) · Israel: 23.3% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
34% of adults in France smoke, versus 21% in Israel.
France: 33.6% (2024) · Israel: 21.2% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Israel rate their lives 0.60 points higher than in France.
France: 6.59 (2025) · Israel: 7.19 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in France drink 2.7 times as much alcohol as in Israel.
France: 11.2 litres (2023) · Israel: 4.2 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Israel has 35% more meat per person than France.
France: 80.3 kg (2023) · Israel: 108.7 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Israel has 264 kcal more food per person per day than France.
France: 3,490 kcal (2023) · Israel: 3,754 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Israel put in 403 more hours a year than in France.
France: 1,487 hours (2023) · Israel: 1,890 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Israel went to school 1.8 years longer than in France.
France: 11.8 years (2023) · Israel: 13.5 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
France welcomed 14 times as many tourists per resident as Israel (2019).
France: 1.35 (2019) · Israel: 0.1 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
France and Israel are practically level.
France: 89% (2024) · Israel: 88% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
France and Israel are practically level.
France: 100% (2024) · Israel: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
92% of people in Israel live in cities, versus 79% in France.
France: 79% (2025) · Israel: 92% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Israel has 177 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, France 117.
France: 117 (2023) · Israel: 177 (2024)
How much railway is there?
France’s railway network is 16 times as long as Israel’s.
France: 27,716 km (2021) · Israel: 1,720 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from France fly 29% more passengers per resident than those from Israel.
France: 0.94 (2023) · Israel: 0.73 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 32% of France, but only 6.5% of Israel.
France: 32.5% (2023) · Israel: 6.5% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Israel emits 41% more CO₂ than someone in France.
France: 4 t (2024) · Israel: 5.6 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
26% of France’s electricity is renewable, versus 17% in Israel.
France: 26.1% (2025) · Israel: 16.9% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Israel carries 2.3 times as much fine dust as in France.
France: 8.9 µg/m³ (2024) · Israel: 20.4 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 21% more likely to be murdered in Israel than in France.
France: 1.3 per 100k (2024) · Israel: 1.6 per 100k (2022)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in France are 12% deadlier than in Israel.
France: 4.7 per 100k (2021) · Israel: 4.2 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Israel is on average 7.0 °C warmer than France.
France: 14.1°C (2016–2025 avg) · Israel: 21.1°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
France gets 5.6 times as much rain as Israel.
France: 1,158 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Israel: 205 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is France bigger than Israel?
France is larger. Israel fits inside France 27 times.
Which has more people, France or Israel?
France has 6.8 times as many people as Israel (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, France or Israel?
Israel and France are practically level. Life expectancy at birth is 83.0 years in France and 83.2 in Israel.
Are people taller in France or Israel?
Men in France are 2.6 cm taller than in Israel (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
