Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
France fits inside South Africa 2 times.
France: 606,410 km² (2023) · South Africa: 1,219,090 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
France’s coastline is 73% longer than South Africa’s.
France: 4,853 km (2026 edition) · South Africa: 2,798 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
France’s highest peak towers 1,360 m above South Africa’s.
France: 4,810 m (2026 edition) · South Africa: 3,450 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
France has 6% more people than South Africa.
France: 68.7 million (2025) · South Africa: 64.7 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
France is 2.4 times as densely populated as South Africa.
France: 128 per km² (2025) · South Africa: 53 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in France are 9.0 cm taller than in South Africa.
France: 178.6 cm (2019) · South Africa: 169.6 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in France are 5.9 cm taller than in South Africa.
France: 164.5 cm (2019) · South Africa: 158.6 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in France is 14 years older than in South Africa.
France: 41.8 years (2023) · South Africa: 28.2 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in South Africa have 0.6 more children on average than in France.
France: 1.61 children per woman (2024) · South Africa: 2.21 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
23% of people in France are 65 or older, versus 6.9% in South Africa.
France: 22.5% (2025) · South Africa: 6.9% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
France has produced 9.3 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, South Africa 1.4.
France: 9.3 (2025) · South Africa: 1.4 (2025)
How many official languages?
South Africa has 11 official languages, France 1.
France: 1 (2026) · South Africa: 11 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
France’s economy is 7.9 times the size of South Africa’s.
France: $3.37 trillion (2025) · South Africa: $427 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
France produces 4 times as much per person as South Africa.
France: Int$63,975 (2025) · South Africa: Int$15,906 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in South Africa than in France (Gini 22.3 points higher).
France: 31.8 (2023) · South Africa: 54.1 (2022)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 32% in South Africa, versus 7.5% in France.
France: 7.5% (2025) · South Africa: 32.4% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
France spends 2.1% of its GDP on the military, South Africa 0.7%.
France: 2.1% (2024) · South Africa: 0.7% (2024)
How expensive is it?
France’s price level (US = 100) is 1.8× South Africa’s.
France: 77% (2025) · South Africa: 41% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
France spends 9.9 times as much on health per person as South Africa.
France: $5,327 (2024) · South Africa: $537 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in France live 17 years longer than in South Africa.
France: 83 years (2024) · South Africa: 66.3 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in South Africa is 7.1 times as likely to die before turning one as in France.
France: 3.4 per 1,000 (2024) · South Africa: 24.2 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
France has 4.1 times as many doctors per person as South Africa.
France: 3.3 per 1,000 (2022) · South Africa: 0.8 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
31% of adults in South Africa are obese, versus 13% in France.
France: 12.5% (2024) · South Africa: 31.3% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
34% of adults in France smoke, versus 24% in South Africa.
France: 33.6% (2024) · South Africa: 23.7% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in France rate their lives 1.58 points higher than in South Africa.
France: 6.59 (2025) · South Africa: 5.01 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in France drink 30% more alcohol than in South Africa.
France: 11.2 litres (2023) · South Africa: 8.6 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
France has 38% more meat per person than South Africa.
France: 80.3 kg (2023) · South Africa: 58.3 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
France has 796 kcal more food per person per day than South Africa.
France: 3,490 kcal (2023) · South Africa: 2,694 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in South Africa put in 694 more hours a year than in France.
France: 1,487 hours (2023) · South Africa: 2,181 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in France went to school 0.16 years longer than in South Africa.
France: 11.8 years (2023) · South Africa: 11.6 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
France welcomed 9.7 times as many tourists per resident as South Africa (2019).
France: 1.35 (2019) · South Africa: 0.14 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
89% of people in France are online, versus 78% in South Africa.
France: 89% (2024) · South Africa: 78% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
100% of people in France have electricity, versus 90% in South Africa.
France: 100% (2024) · South Africa: 90.2% (2024)
How many live in cities?
79% of people in France live in cities, versus 64% in South Africa.
France: 79% (2025) · South Africa: 64% (2025)
How many phones per person?
South Africa has 179 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, France 117.
France: 117 (2023) · South Africa: 179 (2024)
How much railway is there?
France’s railway network is 32% longer than South Africa’s.
France: 27,716 km (2021) · South Africa: 20,953 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from France fly 3.9 times as many passengers per resident as those from South Africa.
France: 0.94 (2023) · South Africa: 0.24 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 32% of France, but only 14% of South Africa.
France: 32.5% (2023) · South Africa: 14% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in South Africa emits 73% more CO₂ than someone in France.
France: 4 t (2024) · South Africa: 6.9 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
26% of France’s electricity is renewable, versus 14% in South Africa.
France: 26.1% (2025) · South Africa: 13.6% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in South Africa carries 2.7 times as much fine dust as in France.
France: 8.9 µg/m³ (2024) · South Africa: 24.4 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 32 times as likely to be murdered in South Africa as in France.
France: 1.3 per 100k (2024) · South Africa: 43.7 per 100k (2022)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in South Africa are 5.2 times as deadly as in France.
France: 4.7 per 100k (2021) · South Africa: 24.5 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
South Africa is on average 4.3 °C warmer than France.
France: 14.1°C (2016–2025 avg) · South Africa: 18.4°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
France gets 2.3 times as much rain as South Africa.
France: 1,158 mm (2016–2025 avg) · South Africa: 511 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is France bigger than South Africa?
South Africa is larger. France fits inside South Africa 2 times.
Which has more people, France or South Africa?
France has 6% more people than South Africa (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, France or South Africa?
People in France live 17 years longer than in South Africa. Life expectancy at birth is 83.0 years in France and 66.3 in South Africa.
Are people taller in France or South Africa?
Men in France are 9.0 cm taller than in South Africa (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
Keep duelling
France vs Andorra 
France vs Belgium 
France vs Germany 
France vs Italy 
France vs Luxembourg 
France vs Monaco 
South Africa vs Botswana 
South Africa vs Lesotho 
South Africa vs Mozambique 
South Africa vs Namibia 
South Africa vs Eswatini 
South Africa vs Zimbabwe 
France vs the world → South Africa vs the world →