Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
France is 20% bigger than Spain.
France: 606,410 km² (2023) · Spain: 505,976 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Spain’s coastline is 2% longer than France’s.
France: 4,853 km (2026 edition) · Spain: 4,964 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
France’s highest peak towers 1,092 m above Spain’s.
France: 4,810 m (2026 edition) · Spain: 3,718 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
France has 39% more people than Spain.
France: 68.7 million (2025) · Spain: 49.4 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
France is 29% more densely populated than Spain.
France: 128 per km² (2025) · Spain: 99 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in France are 2.5 cm taller than in Spain.
France: 178.6 cm (2019) · Spain: 176.1 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in France are 2.5 cm taller than in Spain.
France: 164.5 cm (2019) · Spain: 162 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Spain is 3.1 years older than in France.
France: 41.8 years (2023) · Spain: 44.9 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in France have 0.5 more children on average than in Spain.
France: 1.61 children per woman (2024) · Spain: 1.1 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
23% of people in France are 65 or older, versus 22% in Spain.
France: 22.5% (2025) · Spain: 21.6% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
France has produced 9.3 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Spain 1.4.
France: 9.3 (2025) · Spain: 1.4 (2025)
How many official languages?
France and Spain are practically level.
France: 1 (2026) · Spain: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
France’s economy is 77% larger than Spain’s.
France: $3.37 trillion (2025) · Spain: $1.91 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
France produces 7% more per person than Spain.
France: Int$63,975 (2025) · Spain: Int$59,868 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Spain than in France (Gini 1.6 points higher).
France: 31.8 (2023) · Spain: 33.4 (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 10% in Spain, versus 7.5% in France.
France: 7.5% (2025) · Spain: 10.4% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
France spends 2.1% of its GDP on the military, Spain 1.4%.
France: 2.1% (2024) · Spain: 1.4% (2024)
How expensive is it?
France’s price level (US = 100) is 1.2× Spain’s.
France: 77% (2025) · Spain: 65% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
France spends 71% more on health per person than Spain.
France: $5,327 (2024) · Spain: $3,107 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Spain live 0.91 years longer than in France.
France: 83 years (2024) · Spain: 83.9 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in France is 31% more likely to die before turning one than in Spain.
France: 3.4 per 1,000 (2024) · Spain: 2.6 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Spain has 31% more doctors per person than France.
France: 3.3 per 1,000 (2022) · Spain: 4.3 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
19% of adults in Spain are obese, versus 13% in France.
France: 12.5% (2024) · Spain: 18.9% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
34% of adults in France smoke, versus 28% in Spain.
France: 33.6% (2024) · Spain: 27.6% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in France rate their lives 0.05 points higher than in Spain.
France: 6.59 (2025) · Spain: 6.54 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Spain drink 8% more alcohol than in France.
France: 11.2 litres (2023) · Spain: 12.1 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Spain has 26% more meat per person than France.
France: 80.3 kg (2023) · Spain: 100.8 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
France has 112 kcal more food per person per day than Spain.
France: 3,490 kcal (2023) · Spain: 3,377 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Spain put in 151 more hours a year than in France.
France: 1,487 hours (2023) · Spain: 1,638 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in France went to school 1 year longer than in Spain.
France: 11.8 years (2023) · Spain: 10.8 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Spain welcomed 42% more tourists per resident than France (2019).
France: 1.35 (2019) · Spain: 1.92 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
96% of people in Spain are online, versus 89% in France.
France: 89% (2024) · Spain: 96% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
France and Spain are practically level.
France: 100% (2024) · Spain: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
81% of people in Spain live in cities, versus 79% in France.
France: 79% (2025) · Spain: 81% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Spain has 130 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, France 117.
France: 117 (2023) · Spain: 130 (2024)
How much railway is there?
France’s railway network is 74% longer than Spain’s.
France: 27,716 km (2021) · Spain: 15,963 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Spain fly 2 times as many passengers per resident as those from France.
France: 0.94 (2023) · Spain: 1.91 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 37% of Spain, but only 32% of France.
France: 32.5% (2023) · Spain: 37.2% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Spain emits 16% more CO₂ than someone in France.
France: 4 t (2024) · Spain: 4.6 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
56% of Spain’s electricity is renewable, versus 26% in France.
France: 26.1% (2025) · Spain: 55.9% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Spain carries 12% more fine dust than in France.
France: 8.9 µg/m³ (2024) · Spain: 10 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 2 times as likely to be murdered in France as in Spain.
France: 1.3 per 100k (2024) · Spain: 0.7 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in France are 34% deadlier than in Spain.
France: 4.7 per 100k (2021) · Spain: 3.5 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Spain is on average 0.7 °C warmer than France.
France: 14.1°C (2016–2025 avg) · Spain: 14.8°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
France gets 74% more rain than Spain.
France: 1,158 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Spain: 665 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is France bigger than Spain?
France is larger. France is 20% bigger than Spain.
Which has more people, France or Spain?
France has 39% more people than Spain (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, France or Spain?
People in Spain live 0.91 years longer than in France. Life expectancy at birth is 83.0 years in France and 83.9 in Spain.
Are people taller in France or Spain?
Men in France are 2.5 cm taller than in Spain (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
