Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Italy fits inside France 2 times
France: 606,410 km² (2024) · Italy: 302,070 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Italy’s coastline is 57% longer than France’s
France: 4,853 km (2026 edition) · Italy: 7,600 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
France’s highest peak towers 62 m above Italy’s
France: 4,810 m (2026 edition) · Italy: 4,748 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 53% of France, versus 44% of Italy
France: 52.8% (2024) · Italy: 43.6% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
France has 17% more people than Italy
France: 68.7 million (2025) · Italy: 58.9 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Italy is 56% more densely populated than France
France: 128 per km² (2025) · Italy: 199 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in France are 4.2 cm taller than in Italy
France: 178.6 cm (2019) · Italy: 174.4 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in France are 2.7 cm taller than in Italy
France: 164.5 cm (2019) · Italy: 161.8 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Italy is 5.6 years older than in France
France: 41.8 years (2023) · Italy: 47.5 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in France have 0.4 more children on average than in Italy
France: 1.61 children per woman (2024) · Italy: 1.18 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
25% of people in Italy are 65 or older, versus 23% in France
France: 22.5% (2025) · Italy: 25.1% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
France hosts 3.5 times as many refugees per resident as Italy
France: 11.5 per 1,000 (2025) · Italy: 3.3 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
France has produced 9.5 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Italy 3.4
France: 9.5 (2026) · Italy: 3.4 (2026)
How many official languages?
France and Italy are practically level
France: 1 (2026) · Italy: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
France’s economy is 32% larger than Italy’s
France: $3.37 trillion (2025) · Italy: $2.55 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
France produces 2% more per person than Italy
France: Int$63,975 (2025) · Italy: Int$62,803 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Italy than in France (Gini 2.5 points higher)
France: 31.8 (2023) · Italy: 34.3 (2023)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
0.9% of people in Italy live on less than $3 a day, versus 0.1% in France
France: 0.1% (2023) · Italy: 0.9% (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 7.5% in France, versus 6.4% in Italy
France: 7.5% (2025) · Italy: 6.4% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
France and Italy are practically level
France: 2% (2025) · Italy: 1.9% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Italy’s central government collects 26% of GDP in tax, France’s 23%
France: 22.8% (2024) · Italy: 25.6% (2024)
How expensive is it?
France’s price level (US = 100) is 1.1× Italy’s
France: 77% (2025) · Italy: 69% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
France spends 57% more on health per person than Italy
France: $5,327 (2024) · Italy: $3,398 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in Italy live 0.97 year longer than in France
France: 83 years (2024) · Italy: 84 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in France is 48% more likely to die before turning one than in Italy
France: 3.4 per 1,000 (2024) · Italy: 2.3 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Italy has 28% more doctors per person than France
France: 3.3 per 1,000 (2022) · Italy: 4.2 per 1,000 (2022)
How many hospital beds are there?
France has 85% more hospital beds per person than Italy
France: 5.7 per 1,000 (2022) · Italy: 3.1 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in France is 2.4 times that in Italy
France: 13.9 per 100k (2023) · Italy: 5.7 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
18% of adults in Italy are obese, versus 13% in France
France: 12.5% (2024) · Italy: 17.9% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
34% of adults in France smoke, versus 22% in Italy
France: 33.6% (2024) · Italy: 22.4% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
France and Italy are practically level
France: 6.59 (2025) · Italy: 6.57 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in France drink 33% more alcohol than in Italy
France: 11.2 litres (2023) · Italy: 8.4 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
France has 13% more meat per person than Italy
France: 80.3 kg (2023) · Italy: 71.2 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Italy has 263 kcal more food per person per day than France
France: 3,490 kcal (2023) · Italy: 3,753 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Italy put in 214 more hours a year than in France
France: 1,487 hours (2023) · Italy: 1,701 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in France went to school 0.94 years longer than in Italy
France: 11.8 years (2023) · Italy: 10.8 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
France welcomed 38% more tourists per resident than Italy (2019)
France: 1.35 (2019) · Italy: 0.98 (2024)
How many World Heritage sites?
Italy has 6 more World Heritage sites than France (62 against 56)
France: 56 (2026) · Italy: 62 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
France has won 985 Olympic medals, Italy 829
France: 985 (2026 edition) · Italy: 829 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
89% of people in Italy are online, versus 89% in France
France: 89% (2024) · Italy: 89% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in France is 68% faster than in Italy
France: 460 Mbps (2026) · Italy: 274 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
France and Italy are practically level
France: 100% (2024) · Italy: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
79% of people in France live in cities, versus 70% in Italy
France: 79% (2025) · Italy: 70% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Italy has 133 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, France 117
France: 117 (2023) · Italy: 133 (2024)
How much railway is there?
France’s railway network is 60% longer than Italy’s
France: 27,716 km (2021) · Italy: 17,305 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from France fly 2.7 times as many passengers per resident as those from Italy
France: 0.94 (2023) · Italy: 0.34 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 33% of France, but only 32% of Italy
France: 32.9% (2024) · Italy: 31.8% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Italy emits 28% more CO₂ than someone in France
France: 4 t (2024) · Italy: 5.1 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
49% of Italy’s electricity is renewable, versus 26% in France
France: 26.1% (2025) · Italy: 48.8% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Italy carries 71% more fine dust than in France
France: 8.9 µg/m³ (2024) · Italy: 15.2 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 2.4 times as likely to be murdered in France as in Italy
France: 1.3 per 100k (2024) · Italy: 0.6 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Italy are 12% deadlier than in France
France: 7.6 per 100k (2023) · Italy: 8.5 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
France is on average 0.2 °C warmer than Italy
France: 14.1°C (2016–2025 avg) · Italy: 13.9°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
France gets 12% more rain than Italy
France: 1,158 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Italy: 1,030 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is France bigger than Italy?
France is larger. Italy fits inside France 2 times.
Which has more people, France or Italy?
France has 17% more people than Italy (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, France or Italy?
People in Italy live 0.97 year longer than in France. Life expectancy at birth is 83.0 years in France and 84.0 in Italy.
Are people taller in France or Italy?
Men in France are 4.2 cm taller than in Italy (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
