Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
France fits inside the United States 16 times.
France: 606,410 km² (2023) · United States: 9,831,510 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
The United States’ coastline is 4.1 times as long as France’s.
France: 4,853 km (2026 edition) · United States: 19,924 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
The United States’ highest peak towers 1,380 m above France’s.
France: 4,810 m (2026 edition) · United States: 6,190 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
The United States has 5 times as many people as France.
France: 68.7 million (2025) · United States: 342 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
France is 3.4 times as densely populated as the United States.
France: 128 per km² (2025) · United States: 37 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in France are 1.7 cm taller than in the United States.
France: 178.6 cm (2019) · United States: 176.9 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in France are 1.2 cm taller than in the United States.
France: 164.5 cm (2019) · United States: 163.3 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in France is 3.8 years older than in the United States.
France: 41.8 years (2023) · United States: 38 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
The United States and France are practically level.
France: 1.61 children per woman (2024) · United States: 1.63 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
23% of people in France are 65 or older, versus 18% in the United States.
France: 22.5% (2025) · United States: 18.4% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
France has produced 9.3 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, the United States 8.7.
France: 9.3 (2025) · United States: 8.7 (2025)
How many official languages?
France and the United States are practically level.
France: 1 (2026) · United States: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
The United States’ economy is 9.1 times the size of France’s.
France: $3.37 trillion (2025) · United States: $30.8 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
The United States produces 41% more per person than France.
France: Int$63,975 (2025) · United States: Int$90,027 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in the United States than in France (Gini 10 points higher).
France: 31.8 (2023) · United States: 41.8 (2024)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 7.5% in France, versus 4.2% in the United States.
France: 7.5% (2025) · United States: 4.2% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
The United States spends 3.4% of its GDP on the military, France 2.1%.
France: 2.1% (2024) · United States: 3.4% (2024)
How expensive is it?
The United States’ price level (US = 100) is 1.3× France’s.
France: 77% (2025) · United States: 100% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
The United States spends 2.5 times as much on health per person as France.
France: $5,327 (2024) · United States: $13,473 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in France live 4.1 years longer than in the United States.
France: 83 years (2024) · United States: 78.9 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in the United States is 62% more likely to die before turning one than in France.
France: 3.4 per 1,000 (2024) · United States: 5.5 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
The United States has 12% more doctors per person than France.
France: 3.3 per 1,000 (2022) · United States: 3.7 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
42% of adults in the United States are obese, versus 13% in France.
France: 12.5% (2024) · United States: 41.8% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
34% of adults in France smoke, versus 16% in the United States.
France: 33.6% (2024) · United States: 15.8% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in the United States rate their lives 0.23 points higher than in France.
France: 6.59 (2025) · United States: 6.82 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in France drink 17% more alcohol than in the United States.
France: 11.2 litres (2023) · United States: 9.6 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
The United States has 52% more meat per person than France.
France: 80.3 kg (2023) · United States: 122.1 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
The United States has 458 kcal more food per person per day than France.
France: 3,490 kcal (2023) · United States: 3,947 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in the United States put in 302 more hours a year than in France.
France: 1,487 hours (2023) · United States: 1,789 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in the United States went to school 2.1 years longer than in France.
France: 11.8 years (2023) · United States: 13.9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
France welcomed 6.3 times as many tourists per resident as the United States (2019).
France: 1.35 (2019) · United States: 0.21 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
95% of people in the United States are online, versus 89% in France.
France: 89% (2024) · United States: 95% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
France and the United States are practically level.
France: 100% (2024) · United States: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
80% of people in the United States live in cities, versus 79% in France.
France: 79% (2025) · United States: 80% (2025)
How many phones per person?
France has 117 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, the United States 113.
France: 117 (2023) · United States: 113 (2024)
How much railway is there?
The United States’ railway network is 5.4 times as long as France’s.
France: 27,716 km (2021) · United States: 148,553 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from the United States fly 2.9 times as many passengers per resident as those from France.
France: 0.94 (2023) · United States: 2.75 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 34% of the United States, but only 32% of France.
France: 32.5% (2023) · United States: 33.9% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in the United States emits 3.6 times as much CO₂ as someone in France.
France: 4 t (2024) · United States: 14.2 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
France and the United States are practically level.
France: 26.1% (2025) · United States: 25.6% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in France carries 19% more fine dust than in the United States.
France: 8.9 µg/m³ (2024) · United States: 7.5 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 4.3 times as likely to be murdered in the United States as in France.
France: 1.3 per 100k (2024) · United States: 5.8 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in the United States are 3 times as deadly as in France.
France: 4.7 per 100k (2021) · United States: 14.2 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
France is on average 3.8 °C warmer than the United States.
France: 14.1°C (2016–2025 avg) · United States: 10.3°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
France gets 36% more rain than the United States.
France: 1,158 mm (2016–2025 avg) · United States: 849 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is France bigger than the United States?
The United States is larger. France fits inside the United States 16 times.
Which has more people, France or the United States?
The United States has 5 times as many people as France (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, France or the United States?
People in France live 4.1 years longer than in the United States. Life expectancy at birth is 83.0 years in France and 78.9 in the United States.
Are people taller in France or the United States?
Men in France are 1.7 cm taller than in the United States (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
