Land Area
France
551,695 km²
Largest
United Kingdom
243,610 km²
44.2% of largest
France is 2.26× larger than United Kingdom
Population
France
LARGEST
68.1M
PEOPLE
United Kingdom
99.7% OF LARGEST
67.89M
PEOPLE
France has 1.00× the population of United Kingdom
GDP
United Kingdom
LARGEST
$3.13T
France
93.8% OF LARGEST
$2.94T
Armed Forces
Active Personnel
France
LARGEST
203.85K
TROOPS
United Kingdom
75.2% OF LARGEST
153.29K
TROOPS
France has 1.33× the active personnel of United Kingdom
Air Force
France
LARGEST
1.06K
AIRCRAFT
United Kingdom
69.5% OF LARGEST
733
AIRCRAFT
France has 1.44× the aircraft of United Kingdom
Naval Assets
France
United Kingdom
Wealth
Gold Reserves
France
LARGEST
2,437.0
Metric Tonnes
United Kingdom
12.7% OF LARGEST
310.3
Metric Tonnes
Foreign-Exchange Reserves
United Kingdom
LARGEST
$149B
Reserves · excl. gold
France
52.3% OF LARGEST
$78B
Reserves · excl. gold
Billionaires
United Kingdom
MOST
165
billionaires
France
26% OF MOST
43
billionaires
Oil
Proven Reserves
United Kingdom
LARGEST
2.5
Billion barrels
France
4.0% OF LARGEST
0.1
Billion barrels
Production & Consumption
France
NET IMPORTER
Production
0.0M b/d
Consumption
1.6M b/d
−1.6M b/d net
United Kingdom
NET IMPORTER
Production
0.8M b/d
Consumption
1.5M b/d
−0.8M b/d net
Trade (Import/Export)
France
$1,071.1B
Exports
$1,071.1B
Imports
$1,081.5B
Trade Balance
$-10.4B
Trade Deficit
United Kingdom
$1,142.1B
Exports
$1,142.1B
Imports
$1,174.2B
Trade Balance
$-32.1B
Trade Deficit
Drinks per Person
Coffee
kg / person / yr
France
consumption
United Kingdom
consumption
Tea
kg / person / yr
United Kingdom
consumption
France
consumption
Beer
litres / person / yr
United Kingdom
consumption
France
consumption
Wine
litres / person / yr
France
consumption
United Kingdom
consumption
Alcohol
litres pure alcohol / person / yr
France
consumption
United Kingdom
consumption
Smoking
% of adults 15+ who smoke
France
United Kingdom
Per-capita — consumption where available, else FAOSTAT supply · alcohol = litres of pure alcohol; smoking = % of adults 15+ (WHO)
Olympic Medals
United Kingdom
320
Gold
348
Silver
362
Bronze
1,030
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 991
❄ Winter: 39
France
295
Gold
331
Silver
365
Bronze
991
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 830
❄ Winter: 161
Religious Demographics
Religious Distribution
Religious Composition by Country
France
United Kingdom
Age Demographics
Median Age
France
41.7
YEARS
10
30
50
70
United Kingdom
40.6
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Age Distribution
Population breakdown by age bracket (percentage)
Demographic Insights
Age Gap
France is 1.1 years older (median) than United Kingdom
Youth Population
United Kingdom has the highest youth population at 35.7% (under 30)
Elderly Population
France has the highest elderly population at 26.3% (60+)
Global Statistics
| Metric |
France
|
United Kingdom
|
|---|---|---|
| Travel & Mobility | ||
| Passport Power visa-free destinations |
188
|
188
|
| Tourist Arrivals per year |
79.4M
|
37.0M
|
| Culture & Prestige | ||
| Nobel Laureates all-time |
75
|
138
|
| 3-Michelin-Star Restaurants current guide |
31
|
8
|
Figures as of 2026. Sources: IMF, EIA/OPEC, Henley Passport Index, UNWTO, Forbes, Michelin Guide, Nobel Foundation.
Cost of Living
|
Metric
All indices use New York City as base (100)
Lower values indicate lower costs.
|
France
|
United Kingdom
|
|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index |
|
|
| Rent Index |
|
|
| Groceries Index |
|
|
| Restaurant Price Index |
|
|
| Local Purchasing Power |
|
|
| Common Expenses Comparison | ||
| Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant (USD) | $15 | $15 |
| Three-Course Meal for 2 (USD) | $60 | $65 |
| Monthly Rent - City Center (USD) | $1,000 | $1,500 |
| Monthly Rent - Outside Center (USD) | $750 | $1,100 |
| Monthly Utilities (USD) | $165 | $190 |
| Internet (60 Mbps, USD) | $30 | $35 |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (USD) | $70 | $85 |
Historical Data
Basic Information
| Metric | France | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 68100000 | 67886000 |
| Area (sq km) | 551695 | 243610 |
| Capital | Paris | London |
| Official Language | French | English |
| Currency | Euro (EUR) | Pound Sterling (GBP) |
| Government Type | Unitary semi-presidential republic | Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy |
Military Strength
| Metric | France | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Active Personnel | 203,850 | 153,290 |
| Reserve Personnel | 35,000 | 81,500 |
| Total Military Personnel | 240,000 | 234,790 |
| Defense Budget (USD) | $55,000,000,000 | $68,400,000,000 |
| Tanks | 406 | 227 |
| Armored Vehicles | 6,300 | 5,015 |
| Self-Propelled Artillery | 109 | 89 |
| Towed Artillery | 12 | 126 |
| Rocket Projectors | 13 | 44 |
Economy
| Metric | France | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $2,936,700,000,000 | $3,131,000,000,000 |
| GDP Per Capita (USD) | $43,120 | $46,200 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 7.4% | 3.8% |
| GINI Index (Income Inequality) | 32.4 | 35.1 |
| Currency | Euro (EUR) | Pound Sterling (GBP) |
| Direct Currency Comparison (1 unit of row currency equals X units of column currency) | ||
| France Currency | 1.00 (Same) | 1.1606 Stronger |
| United Kingdom Currency | 0.8616 Weaker | 1.00 (Same) |
| USD Base Exchange Rates (All calculations use USD as the base currency) | ||
| Currency | EUR | GBP |
| 1 USD equals | 0.8802 EUR Updated: 2026-06-27 | 0.7584 GBP Updated: 2026-06-27 |
Interesting Comparisons & Trivia
Did You Know?
France is 2.3 times larger in area than United Kingdom.
United Kingdom has the highest GDP per capita at $46,200 among the selected countries.
United Kingdom has the largest economy with a GDP of
$3.13 trillion.
France has the largest active military personnel with 203,850 troops.
France has the largest air force with 1,055 aircraft.
France has the largest navy with 180 vessels.
UK Fact: The London Underground is the oldest underground railway network in the world, opening in 1863.
France vs United Kingdom: Key Comparisons
Economy: United Kingdom's GDP of $3.1T is 1.1x larger than France's $2.9T — both among the world's largest economies.
Population: France's population of 68M is 1.0x larger than United Kingdom's 68M.
Area: France covers 551,695 km², making it 2.3x larger than United Kingdom.
Military: France fields 200Thousand active troops vs United Kingdom's 150Thousand.
Trade: France has a trade deficit of $10B while United Kingdom has a trade deficit of $32B.
Life Expectancy: France leads with a life expectancy of 83 years vs United Kingdom's 81.
Data compiled from World Bank, IMF, Global Firepower, SIPRI, Numbeo, and Pew Research.
Last updated June 2026.
Sources & methodology