Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
France fits inside Russia 28 times
France: 606,410 km² (2024) · Russia: 17,125,200 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
Russia’s coastline is 7.8 times as long as France’s
France: 4,853 km (2026 edition) · Russia: 37,653 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Russia’s highest peak towers 832 m above France’s
France: 4,810 m (2026 edition) · Russia: 5,642 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 53% of France, versus 13% of Russia
France: 52.8% (2024) · Russia: 13.2% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Russia has 2.1 times as many people as France
France: 68.7 million (2025) · Russia: 144 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
France is 15 times as densely populated as Russia
France: 128 per km² (2025) · Russia: 9 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in France are 1.9 cm taller than in Russia
France: 178.6 cm (2019) · Russia: 176.7 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Russia and France are practically level
France: 164.5 cm (2019) · Russia: 164.5 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in France is 2.4 years older than in Russia
France: 41.8 years (2023) · Russia: 39.5 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in France have 0.2 more children on average than in Russia
France: 1.61 children per woman (2024) · Russia: 1.42 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
23% of people in France are 65 or older, versus 18% in Russia
France: 22.5% (2025) · Russia: 17.8% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
France hosts 139 times as many refugees per resident as Russia
France: 11.5 per 1,000 (2025) · Russia: 0.1 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
France has produced 9.5 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Russia 2.0
France: 9.5 (2026) · Russia: 2 (2026)
How many official languages?
France and Russia are practically level
France: 1 (2026) · Russia: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
France’s economy is 31% larger than Russia’s
France: $3.37 trillion (2025) · Russia: $2.56 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
France produces 29% more per person than Russia
France: Int$63,975 (2025) · Russia: Int$49,568 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Russia than in France (Gini 1.2 points higher)
France: 31.8 (2023) · Russia: 33 (2023)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
France and Russia are practically level
France: 0.1% (2023) · Russia: 0.1% (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 7.5% in France, versus 2.1% in Russia
France: 7.5% (2025) · Russia: 2.1% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Russia spends 7.5% of its GDP on the military, France 2.0%
France: 2% (2025) · Russia: 7.5% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
France’s central government collects 23% of GDP in tax, Russia’s 11%
France: 22.8% (2024) · Russia: 10.9% (2024)
How expensive is it?
France’s price level (US = 100) is 2.2× Russia’s
France: 77% (2025) · Russia: 35% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
France spends 5.3 times as much on health per person as Russia
France: $5,327 (2024) · Russia: $1,003 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in France live 9.5 years longer than in Russia
France: 83 years (2024) · Russia: 73.4 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Russia is 21% more likely to die before turning one than in France
France: 3.4 per 1,000 (2024) · Russia: 4.1 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Russia has 56% more doctors per person than France
France: 3.3 per 1,000 (2022) · Russia: 5.1 per 1,000 (2022)
How many hospital beds are there?
Russia has 21% more hospital beds per person than France
France: 5.7 per 1,000 (2022) · Russia: 6.8 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Russia is 42% higher than in France
France: 13.9 per 100k (2023) · Russia: 19.8 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
21% of adults in Russia are obese, versus 13% in France
France: 12.5% (2024) · Russia: 21.2% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
34% of adults in France smoke, versus 27% in Russia
France: 33.6% (2024) · Russia: 27% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in France rate their lives 0.75 points higher than in Russia
France: 6.59 (2025) · Russia: 5.83 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in France drink 8% more alcohol than in Russia
France: 11.2 litres (2023) · Russia: 10.4 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Russia has 6% more meat per person than France
France: 80.3 kg (2023) · Russia: 84.8 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Russia has 39 kcal more food per person per day than France
France: 3,490 kcal (2023) · Russia: 3,528 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Russia put in 600 more hours a year than in France
France: 1,487 hours (2023) · Russia: 2,087 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Russia went to school 0.64 years longer than in France
France: 11.8 years (2023) · Russia: 12.4 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
France: 1.35 (2019) · Russia: no data
How many World Heritage sites?
France has 23 more World Heritage sites than Russia (56 against 33)
France: 56 (2026) · Russia: 33 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
France has won 985 Olympic medals, Russia 539
France: 985 (2026 edition) · Russia: 539 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
94% of people in Russia are online, versus 89% in France
France: 89% (2024) · Russia: 94% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
France: 460 Mbps (2026) · Russia: no data
Who has electricity at home?
France and Russia are practically level
France: 100% (2024) · Russia: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
79% of people in France live in cities, versus 75% in Russia
France: 79% (2025) · Russia: 75% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Russia has 186 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, France 117
France: 117 (2023) · Russia: 186 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Russia’s railway network is 3.1 times as long as France’s
France: 27,716 km (2021) · Russia: 85,544 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from France fly 37% more passengers per resident than those from Russia
France: 0.94 (2023) · Russia: 0.69 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 51% of Russia, but only 33% of France
France: 32.9% (2024) · Russia: 50.8% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Russia emits 3.1 times as much CO₂ as someone in France
France: 4 t (2024) · Russia: 12.3 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
26% of France’s electricity is renewable, versus 17% in Russia
France: 26.1% (2025) · Russia: 17.4% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Russia carries 45% more fine dust than in France
France: 8.9 µg/m³ (2024) · Russia: 12.9 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 5.8 times as likely to be murdered in Russia as in France
France: 1.3 per 100k (2024) · Russia: 7.8 per 100k (2024)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Russia are 76% deadlier than in France
France: 7.6 per 100k (2023) · Russia: 13.4 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
France is on average 16.7 °C warmer than Russia
France: 14.1°C (2016–2025 avg) · Russia: -2.6°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
France gets 2 times as much rain as Russia
France: 1,158 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Russia: 586 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is France bigger than Russia?
Russia is larger. France fits inside Russia 28 times.
Which has more people, France or Russia?
Russia has 2.1 times as many people as France (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, France or Russia?
People in France live 9.5 years longer than in Russia. Life expectancy at birth is 83.0 years in France and 73.4 in Russia.
Are people taller in France or Russia?
Men in France are 1.9 cm taller than in Russia (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
