Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
France is 15% bigger than Sweden.
France: 606,410 km² (2023) · Sweden: 528,660 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
France’s coastline is 51% longer than Sweden’s.
France: 4,853 km (2026 edition) · Sweden: 3,218 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
France’s highest peak towers 2,710 m above Sweden’s.
France: 4,810 m (2026 edition) · Sweden: 2,100 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
France has 6.5 times as many people as Sweden.
France: 68.7 million (2025) · Sweden: 10.6 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
France is 4.9 times as densely populated as Sweden.
France: 128 per km² (2025) · Sweden: 26 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Sweden are 1.9 cm taller than in France.
France: 178.6 cm (2019) · Sweden: 180.5 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Sweden are 2.2 cm taller than in France.
France: 164.5 cm (2019) · Sweden: 166.7 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in France is 1.9 years older than in Sweden.
France: 41.8 years (2023) · Sweden: 39.9 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in France have 0.2 more children on average than in Sweden.
France: 1.61 children per woman (2024) · Sweden: 1.43 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
23% of people in France are 65 or older, versus 21% in Sweden.
France: 22.5% (2025) · Sweden: 20.9% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Sweden has produced 28.3 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, France 9.3.
France: 9.3 (2025) · Sweden: 28.3 (2025)
How many official languages?
France and Sweden are practically level.
France: 1 (2026) · Sweden: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
France’s economy is 5 times the size of Sweden’s.
France: $3.37 trillion (2025) · Sweden: $669 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Sweden produces 13% more per person than France.
France: Int$63,975 (2025) · Sweden: Int$72,529 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in France than in Sweden (Gini 2.5 points higher).
France: 31.8 (2023) · Sweden: 29.3 (2023)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 8.7% in Sweden, versus 7.5% in France.
France: 7.5% (2025) · Sweden: 8.7% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
France and Sweden are practically level.
France: 2.1% (2024) · Sweden: 2% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Sweden’s price level (US = 100) is 1.1× France’s.
France: 77% (2025) · Sweden: 87% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Sweden spends 22% more on health per person than France.
France: $5,327 (2024) · Sweden: $6,485 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in Sweden live 1.1 years longer than in France.
France: 83 years (2024) · Sweden: 84.1 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 Sweden.
France: 3.4 per 1,000 (2024) · Sweden: 2 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Sweden has 34% more doctors per person than France.
France: 3.3 per 1,000 (2022) · Sweden: 4.4 per 1,000 (2021)
How common is obesity?
19% of adults in Sweden are obese, versus 13% in France.
France: 12.5% (2024) · Sweden: 18.7% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
34% of adults in France smoke, versus 20% in Sweden.
France: 33.6% (2024) · Sweden: 20.3% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Sweden rate their lives 0.67 points higher than in France.
France: 6.59 (2025) · Sweden: 7.26 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in France drink 29% more alcohol than in Sweden.
France: 11.2 litres (2023) · Sweden: 8.7 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
France has 17% more meat per person than Sweden.
France: 80.3 kg (2023) · Sweden: 68.4 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
France has 123 kcal more food per person per day than Sweden.
France: 3,490 kcal (2023) · Sweden: 3,367 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in France put in 56 more hours a year than in Sweden.
France: 1,487 hours (2023) · Sweden: 1,432 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Sweden went to school 0.97 year longer than in France.
France: 11.8 years (2023) · Sweden: 12.7 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
France welcomed 2.1 times as many tourists per resident as Sweden (2019).
France: 1.35 (2019) · Sweden: 0.63 (2022)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
96% of people in Sweden are online, versus 89% in France.
France: 89% (2024) · Sweden: 96% (2025)
Who has electricity at home?
France and Sweden are practically level.
France: 100% (2024) · Sweden: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
89% of people in Sweden live in cities, versus 79% in France.
France: 79% (2025) · Sweden: 89% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Sweden has 141 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, France 117.
France: 117 (2023) · Sweden: 141 (2024)
How much railway is there?
France’s railway network is 2.9 times as long as Sweden’s.
France: 27,716 km (2021) · Sweden: 9,714 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Sweden fly 2 times as many passengers per resident as those from France.
France: 0.94 (2023) · Sweden: 1.85 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 69% of Sweden, but only 32% of France.
France: 32.5% (2023) · Sweden: 68.7% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in France emits 11% more CO₂ than someone in Sweden.
France: 4 t (2024) · Sweden: 3.6 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
71% of Sweden’s electricity is renewable, versus 26% in France.
France: 26.1% (2025) · Sweden: 71.2% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in France carries 56% more fine dust than in Sweden.
France: 8.9 µg/m³ (2024) · Sweden: 5.7 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 18% more likely to be murdered in France than in Sweden.
France: 1.3 per 100k (2024) · Sweden: 1.1 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in France are 2.2 times as deadly as in Sweden.
France: 4.7 per 100k (2021) · Sweden: 2.1 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
France is on average 9.8 °C warmer than Sweden.
France: 14.1°C (2016–2025 avg) · Sweden: 4.3°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
France gets 45% more rain than Sweden.
France: 1,158 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Sweden: 801 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is France bigger than Sweden?
France is larger. France is 15% bigger than Sweden.
Which has more people, France or Sweden?
France has 6.5 times as many people as Sweden (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, France or Sweden?
People in Sweden live 1.1 years longer than in France. Life expectancy at birth is 83.0 years in France and 84.1 in Sweden.
Are people taller in France or Sweden?
Men in Sweden are 1.9 cm taller than in France (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
