📜 A long story
France, 1800 → today
France grew from 29 million in 1800 to 66.4 million; a newborn can expect 43.2 more years of life than in 1816, and output per person is 24× its 1800 level, adjusted for inflation.
Told with long-run reconstructions, not the yearly series used elsewhere on the site: each chapter names its source. Scroll to move through the years.
☺ Chapter 1 · Population
How many people live there?
1800
In 1800, about 29 million people lived in France.
1900
40 million people.
1.4× the 1800 level
1950
41.9 million people.
about the same as in 1900
2023
66.4 million people, the latest year in this series.
1.6× the 1950 level
Reached twice the 1800 level in 1994.
Long-run series: before 1950, reconstructions by HYDE and Gapminder, filled in between benchmark years by those sources. Log scale: equal steps up mean equal growth rates.
✚ Chapter 2 · Life expectancy
How long do people live?
1816
In 1816, a newborn in France could expect to live 40.1 years, on average.
1900
45.1 years.
+5 years since 1816
1950
66.4 years.
+21 years since 1900
Passed 50 years in 1909.
Passed 60 years in 1946.
The sharpest fall in the data: down 17 years between 1912 and 1918 (51.5 years → 34.8 years).
2023
83.3 years, the latest year in this series.
+17 years since 1950
Passed 70 years in 1958.
Passed 80 years in 2004.
Long-run series: before 1950, historical estimates (Riley, Clio Infra, Human Mortality Database), only for years they cover.
◎ Chapter 3 · GDP per person (PPP)
How much is produced per person?
1800
In 1800, France produced about Int$1,660 per person, in 2011 prices.
1900
Int$4,580.
2.8× the 1800 level
Reached twice the 1800 level in 1874.
1950
Int$8,270.
1.8× the 1900 level
The sharpest fall in the data: down 49% between 1939 and 1944 (Int$7,640 → Int$3,860).
2022
Int$39,100, the latest year in this series.
4.7× the 1950 level
Reached 5 times the 1800 level in 1951.
Reached 10 times the 1800 level in 1969.
Reached 20 times the 1800 level in 2000.
Long-run series (Maddison Project) in 2011 international dollars: adjusted for inflation, so not the same unit as today’s PPP figure. Log scale: equal steps up mean equal growth rates.
❦ Chapter 4 · CO₂ per person
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
1802
In 1802, fossil fuels and industry in France emitted about 0.1 t of CO₂ per person.
1900
3.2 t.
42× the 1802 level
Reached twice the 1802 level in 1827.
Reached 5 times the 1802 level in 1841.
Reached 10 times the 1802 level in 1854.
Reached 20 times the 1802 level in 1872.
1950
4.8 t.
1.5× the 1900 level
Reached 50 times the 1802 level in 1911.
The sharpest fall in the data: down 64% between 1937 and 1944 (5.4 t → 2 t).
2024
4 t, the latest year in this series.
18% lower than in 1950
Long-run series: fossil CO₂ emitted within each country’s borders (Global Carbon Budget); early estimates are less certain. Log scale: equal steps up mean equal growth rates. Dashed stretches are years without data.
☕ Chapter 5 · Years of schooling
How long do people go to school?
1870
In 1870, people aged 15–64 in France had spent 0.7 years in school, on average.
1900
2.4 years.
+1.7 years since 1870
Passed 2 years in 1895.
1950
4.4 years.
+2.1 years since 1900
Passed 4 years in 1940.
2015
11.6 years, the latest year in this series.
+7.2 years since 1950
Passed 6 years in 1975.
Passed 8 years in 1990.
Passed 10 years in 2000.
Long-run series (Lee & Lee, Barro & Lee) for people aged 15–64, every 5 years until 2015: a different age group than today’s figure (25 and older).