Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Norway is 3% bigger than France
France: 606,410 km² (2024) · Norway: 624,500 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Norway’s coastline is 5.2 times as long as France’s
France: 4,853 km (2026 edition) · Norway: 25,148 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
France’s highest peak towers 2,341 m above Norway’s
France: 4,810 m (2026 edition) · Norway: 2,469 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 53% of France, versus 2.7% of Norway
France: 52.8% (2024) · Norway: 2.7% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
France has 12 times as many people as Norway
France: 68.7 million (2025) · Norway: 5.61 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
France is 8.3 times as densely populated as Norway
France: 128 per km² (2025) · Norway: 15 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Norway are 1.9 cm taller than in France
France: 178.6 cm (2019) · Norway: 180.5 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Norway are 2.0 cm taller than in France
France: 164.5 cm (2019) · Norway: 166.5 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in France is 2.3 years older than in Norway
France: 41.8 years (2023) · Norway: 39.5 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in France have 0.2 more children on average than in Norway
France: 1.61 children per woman (2024) · Norway: 1.45 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
23% of people in France are 65 or older, versus 19% in Norway
France: 22.5% (2025) · Norway: 19.1% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Norway hosts 93% more refugees per resident than France
France: 11.5 per 1,000 (2025) · Norway: 22.1 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Norway has produced 23.2 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, France 9.5
France: 9.5 (2026) · Norway: 23.2 (2026)
How many official languages?
Norway has 3 official languages, France 1
France: 1 (2026) · Norway: 3 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
France’s economy is 6.3 times the size of Norway’s
France: $3.37 trillion (2025) · Norway: $531 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Norway produces 63% more per person than France
France: Int$63,975 (2025) · Norway: Int$104,044 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in France than in Norway (Gini 5.3 points higher)
France: 31.8 (2023) · Norway: 26.5 (2023)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
Norway and France are practically level
France: 0.1% (2023) · Norway: 0.2% (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 7.5% in France, versus 4.6% in Norway
France: 7.5% (2025) · Norway: 4.6% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Norway spends 3.3% of its GDP on the military, France 2.0%
France: 2% (2025) · Norway: 3.3% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
Norway’s central government collects 25% of GDP in tax, France’s 23%
France: 22.8% (2024) · Norway: 24.5% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Norway’s price level (US = 100) is 1.2× France’s
France: 77% (2025) · Norway: 91% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Norway spends 56% more on health per person than France
France: $5,327 (2024) · Norway: $8,296 (2023)
How long do people live?
Norway and France are practically level
France: 83 years (2024) · Norway: 83.2 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in France is 70% more likely to die before turning one than in Norway
France: 3.4 per 1,000 (2024) · Norway: 2 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Norway has 52% more doctors per person than France
France: 3.3 per 1,000 (2022) · Norway: 5 per 1,000 (2023)
How many hospital beds are there?
France has 71% more hospital beds per person than Norway
France: 5.7 per 1,000 (2022) · Norway: 3.3 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in France is 20% higher than in Norway
France: 13.9 per 100k (2023) · Norway: 11.6 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
21% of adults in Norway are obese, versus 13% in France
France: 12.5% (2024) · Norway: 20.7% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
34% of adults in France smoke, versus 13% in Norway
France: 33.6% (2024) · Norway: 12.9% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Norway rate their lives 0.66 points higher than in France
France: 6.59 (2025) · Norway: 7.24 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in France drink 61% more alcohol than in Norway
France: 11.2 litres (2023) · Norway: 7 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
France has 14% more meat per person than Norway
France: 80.3 kg (2023) · Norway: 70.4 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
France and Norway are practically level
France: 3,490 kcal (2023) · Norway: 3,476 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in France put in 75 more hours a year than in Norway
France: 1,487 hours (2023) · Norway: 1,412 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Norway went to school 1.4 years longer than in France
France: 11.8 years (2023) · Norway: 13.1 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
France welcomed 48% more tourists per resident than Norway (2019)
France: 1.35 (2019) · Norway: 0.91 (2022)
How many World Heritage sites?
France has 48 more World Heritage sites than Norway (56 against 8)
France: 56 (2026) · Norway: 8 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
France has won 985 Olympic medals, Norway 616
France: 985 (2026 edition) · Norway: 616 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
99% of people in Norway are online, versus 89% in France
France: 89% (2024) · Norway: 99% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in France is 2 times as fast as in Norway
France: 460 Mbps (2026) · Norway: 228 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
France and Norway are practically level
France: 100% (2024) · Norway: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
84% of people in Norway live in cities, versus 79% in France
France: 79% (2025) · Norway: 84% (2025)
How many phones per person?
France has 117 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Norway 109
France: 117 (2023) · Norway: 109 (2024)
How much railway is there?
France’s railway network is 7.1 times as long as Norway’s
France: 27,716 km (2021) · Norway: 3,885 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
France: 0.94 (2023) · Norway: no data
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Norway and France are practically level
France: 32.9% (2024) · Norway: 33.2% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Norway emits 68% more CO₂ than someone in France
France: 4 t (2024) · Norway: 6.7 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
99% of Norway’s electricity is renewable, versus 26% in France
France: 26.1% (2025) · Norway: 99% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in France carries 33% more fine dust than in Norway
France: 8.9 µg/m³ (2024) · Norway: 6.7 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 86% more likely to be murdered in France than in Norway
France: 1.3 per 100k (2024) · Norway: 0.7 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in France are 2.6 times as deadly as in Norway
France: 7.6 per 100k (2023) · Norway: 2.9 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
France is on average 12.5 °C warmer than Norway
France: 14.1°C (2016–2025 avg) · Norway: 1.6°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Norway gets 9% more rain than France
France: 1,158 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Norway: 1,259 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is France bigger than Norway?
Norway is larger. Norway is 3% bigger than France.
Which has more people, France or Norway?
France has 12 times as many people as Norway (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, France or Norway?
Norway and France are practically level. Life expectancy at birth is 83.0 years in France and 83.2 in Norway.
Are people taller in France or Norway?
Men in Norway are 1.9 cm taller than in France (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
