Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Portugal fits inside France 6.6 times.
France: 606,410 km² (2023) · Portugal: 92,230 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
France’s coastline is 2.7 times as long as Portugal’s.
France: 4,853 km (2026 edition) · Portugal: 1,793 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
France’s highest peak towers 2,459 m above Portugal’s.
France: 4,810 m (2026 edition) · Portugal: 2,351 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
France has 6.4 times as many people as Portugal.
France: 68.7 million (2025) · Portugal: 10.8 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
France is 8% more densely populated than Portugal.
France: 128 per km² (2025) · Portugal: 118 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in France are 4.2 cm taller than in Portugal.
France: 178.6 cm (2019) · Portugal: 174.4 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in France are 3.3 cm taller than in Portugal.
France: 164.5 cm (2019) · Portugal: 161.2 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Portugal is 4.4 years older than in France.
France: 41.8 years (2023) · Portugal: 46.2 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in France have 0.2 more children on average than in Portugal.
France: 1.61 children per woman (2024) · Portugal: 1.41 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
25% of people in Portugal are 65 or older, versus 23% in France.
France: 22.5% (2025) · Portugal: 24.9% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
France has produced 9.3 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Portugal 1.9.
France: 9.3 (2025) · Portugal: 1.9 (2025)
How many official languages?
France and Portugal are practically level.
France: 1 (2026) · Portugal: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
France’s economy is 9.7 times the size of Portugal’s.
France: $3.37 trillion (2025) · Portugal: $347 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
France produces 20% more per person than Portugal.
France: Int$63,975 (2025) · Portugal: Int$53,146 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Portugal than in France (Gini 2.1 points higher).
France: 31.8 (2023) · Portugal: 33.9 (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 7.5% in France, versus 6.2% in Portugal.
France: 7.5% (2025) · Portugal: 6.2% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
France spends 2.1% of its GDP on the military, Portugal 1.5%.
France: 2.1% (2024) · Portugal: 1.5% (2024)
How expensive is it?
France’s price level (US = 100) is 1.3× Portugal’s.
France: 77% (2025) · Portugal: 60% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
France spends 79% more on health per person than Portugal.
France: $5,327 (2024) · Portugal: $2,971 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in France live 0.6 years longer than in Portugal.
France: 83 years (2024) · Portugal: 82.4 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 Portugal.
France: 3.4 per 1,000 (2024) · Portugal: 2.7 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Portugal has 78% more doctors per person than France.
France: 3.3 per 1,000 (2022) · Portugal: 5.9 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
23% of adults in Portugal are obese, versus 13% in France.
France: 12.5% (2024) · Portugal: 23% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
34% of adults in France smoke, versus 29% in Portugal.
France: 33.6% (2024) · Portugal: 28.6% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in France rate their lives 0.56 points higher than in Portugal.
France: 6.59 (2025) · Portugal: 6.03 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Portugal drink 23% more alcohol than in France.
France: 11.2 litres (2023) · Portugal: 13.7 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Portugal has 24% more meat per person than France.
France: 80.3 kg (2023) · Portugal: 99.3 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Portugal has 63 kcal more food per person per day than France.
France: 3,490 kcal (2023) · Portugal: 3,553 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Portugal put in 248 more hours a year than in France.
France: 1,487 hours (2023) · Portugal: 1,735 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in France went to school 2.1 years longer than in Portugal.
France: 11.8 years (2023) · Portugal: 9.7 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Portugal welcomed 2 times as many tourists per resident as France (2019).
France: 1.35 (2019) · Portugal: 2.71 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
France and Portugal are practically level.
France: 89% (2024) · Portugal: 88% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
France and Portugal are practically level.
France: 100% (2024) · Portugal: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
79% of people in France live in cities, versus 61% in Portugal.
France: 79% (2025) · Portugal: 61% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Portugal has 124 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, France 117.
France: 117 (2023) · Portugal: 124 (2024)
How much railway is there?
France’s railway network is 11 times as long as Portugal’s.
France: 27,716 km (2021) · Portugal: 2,527 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Portugal fly 80% more passengers per resident than those from France.
France: 0.94 (2023) · Portugal: 1.69 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 36% of Portugal, but only 32% of France.
France: 32.5% (2023) · Portugal: 36.2% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in France emits 16% more CO₂ than someone in Portugal.
France: 4 t (2024) · Portugal: 3.4 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
81% of Portugal’s electricity is renewable, versus 26% in France.
France: 26.1% (2025) · Portugal: 81% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Portugal carries 18% more fine dust than in France.
France: 8.9 µg/m³ (2024) · Portugal: 10.5 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 87% more likely to be murdered in France than in Portugal.
France: 1.3 per 100k (2024) · Portugal: 0.7 per 100k (2022)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Portugal are 53% deadlier than in France.
France: 4.7 per 100k (2021) · Portugal: 7.2 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Portugal is on average 1.7 °C warmer than France.
France: 14.1°C (2016–2025 avg) · Portugal: 15.9°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
France gets 49% more rain than Portugal.
France: 1,158 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Portugal: 777 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is France bigger than Portugal?
France is larger. Portugal fits inside France 6.6 times.
Which has more people, France or Portugal?
France has 6.4 times as many people as Portugal (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, France or Portugal?
People in France live 0.6 years longer than in Portugal. Life expectancy at birth is 83.0 years in France and 82.4 in Portugal.
Are people taller in France or Portugal?
Men in France are 4.2 cm taller than in Portugal (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
