Capital

Frankreich

name: Paris

geographic coordinates: 48 52 N, 2 20 E

time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

time zone note: applies to metropolitan France only; for its overseas regions the time difference is UTC-4 for Guadeloupe and Martinique, UTC-3 for French Guiana, UTC+3 for Mayotte, and UTC+4 for Reunion

etymology: name derives from the Parisii, a Celtic tribe that inhabited the area from the 3rd century B.C., but who were conquered by the Romans in the 1st century B.C.; the Celtic settlement became the Roman town of Lutetia Parisiorum (Lutetia of the Parisii); over subsequent centuries it became Parisium and then just Paris

Citizenship

Frankreich

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of France

dual citizenship recognized: yes

residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Legal system

Frankreich

civil law; review of administrative but not legislative acts

Suffrage

Frankreich

18 years of age; universal

Area

Frankreich

total: 643,801 sq km ; 551,500 sq km (metropolitan France)

land: 640,427 sq km ; 549,970 sq km (metropolitan France)

water: 3,374 sq km ; 1,530 sq km (metropolitan France)

note: the first numbers include the overseas regions of French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, and Reunion

Land use

Frankreich

agricultural land: 52.7% (2018 est.)

arable land: 33.4% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 1.8% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 17.5% (2018 est.)

forest: 29.2% (2018 est.)

other: 18.1% (2018 est.)

Location

Frankreich

metropolitan France: Western Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay and English Channel, between Belgium and Spain, southeast of the UK; bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Italy and Spain;

French Guiana: Northern South America, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Brazil and Suriname;

Guadeloupe: Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Puerto Rico;

Martinique: Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean, north of Trinidad and Tobago;

Mayotte: Southern Indian Ocean, island in the Mozambique Channel, about halfway between northern Madagascar and northern Mozambique;

Reunion: Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar

Age structure

Frankreich

0-14 years: 18.04% (male 6,322,021/female 6,040,773)

15-64 years: 60.53% (male 20,846,592/female 20,632,418)

65 years and over: 21.42% (2023 est.) (male 6,409,883/female 8,270,287)

Birth rate

Frankreich

10.9 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

Frankreich

9.9 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Languages

Frankreich

French (official) 100%, declining regional dialects and languages (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish, Occitan, Picard); note - overseas departments: French, Creole patois, Mahorian (a Swahili dialect)

major-language sample(s):
The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

Frankreich

total population: 82.5 years (2023 est.)

male: 79.7 years

female: 85.5 years

Major urban areas - population

Frankreich

11.208 million PARIS (capital), 1.761 million Lyon, 1.628 million Marseille-Aix-en-Provence, 1.079 million Lille, 1.060 million Toulouse, 1.000 million Bordeaux (2023)

Median age

Frankreich

total: 42.4 years (2023 est.)

male: 40.9 years

female: 44 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

Frankreich

28.9 years (2020 est.)

Net migration rate

Frankreich

1.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

Frankreich

much of the population is concentrated in the north and southeast; although there are many urban agglomerations throughout the country, Paris is by far the largest city, with Lyon ranked a distant second

Population growth rate

Frankreich

0.21% (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

Frankreich

1.9 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Frankreich

urban population: 81.8% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 0.67% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Education expenditures

Frankreich

5.5% of GDP (2020 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Frankreich

total: 16 years

male: 16 years

female: 16 years (2020)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

Frankreich

-2.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

Frankreich

6.98% (2021 est.)

Labor force

Frankreich

31.132 million (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

Frankreich

13.6% (2018 est.)

Unemployment rate

Frankreich

8.06% (2021 est.)

8.01% (2020 est.)

8.41% (2019 est.)

note: includes overseas territories

Public debt

Frankreich

123.01% of GDP (2020 est.)

104.99% of GDP (2019 est.)

101.62% of GDP (2018 est.)

note: data cover general government debt and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Frankreich

1.64% (2021 est.)

0.48% (2020 est.)

1.11% (2019 est.)

Exports

Frankreich

$920.864 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$751.384 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$892.016 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - partners

Frankreich

Germany 13%, Italy 8%, Belgium 8%, United States 7%, Spain 7% (2021)

Imports

Frankreich

$957.717 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$796.353 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$916.214 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - partners

Frankreich

Germany 17%, Italy 9%, Belgium 9%, Spain 8%, Netherlands 8% (2021)

Airports

Frankreich

464 (2021)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Frankreich

total: 30.627 million (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 47 (2020 est.)

Internet users

Frankreich

total: 55.9 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 86% (2021 est.)

Railways

Frankreich

total: 27,860 km (2020) 16,660 km electrified

narrow gauge: -5 km

Roadways

Frankreich

total: 1,053,215 km (2011)

urban: 654,201 km (2011)

non-urban: 399,014 km (2011)

Telephones - fixed lines

Frankreich

total subscriptions: 38 million (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 59 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

Frankreich

total subscriptions: 73 million (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 110 (2021 est.)

Waterways

Frankreich

metropolitan France: 8,501 km (1,621 km navigable by craft up to 3,000 metric tons) (2010)

Disputes - international

Frankreich

Madagascar claims the French territories of Bassas da India, Europa Island, Glorioso Islands, and Juan de Nova Island; Comoros claims Mayotte; Mauritius claims Tromelin Island; territorial dispute between Suriname and the French overseas department of French Guiana; France asserts a territorial claim in Antarctica (Adelie Land); France and Vanuatu claim Matthew and Hunter Islands, east of New Caledonia