Country profile

France

French Republic · Western Europe

👥 Population

68,720,337

World Bank · 2025

🏛 Capital

Paris

🗺 Area

551,695 km²

💹 GDP (nominal)

$3.37T

World Bank · 2025

📈 HDI

0.920

UNDP · 2023

📍 Pop. density

125 /km²

💱 Currency

EUR

Euro

🗣 Languages

French

About France

France (officially French Republic) is a country in Western Europe, with Paris as its capital. It is home to roughly 68.72 million people, giving a population density of about 125 people per square kilometre. The country covers 551,695 km² of land and shares land borders with 8 neighbouring countries. Its economy is valued at approximately $3.37T in nominal GDP (2025), and it records a Human Development Index of 0.920. The official currency is the Euro (EUR), and the main language is French.

How France is governed

🏛 Semi-presidential republic

Head of State

President

Powerful head of state; sets foreign & defence policy, appoints PM.

Head of Government

Prime Minister

Runs domestic government; answerable to parliament.

Legislature

Parliament

Bicameral — National Assembly — 577 elected deputies; Senate — indirectly elected

Who holds the power?

France has a semi-presidential system that splits executive power between a directly elected President and a Prime Minister. The President is unusually powerful for a head of state — commanding the military, directing foreign policy and appointing the PM — while the Prime Minister runs day-to-day government and must retain the confidence of the National Assembly. When the President and the Assembly majority are from opposing camps, France enters 'cohabitation,' with the two executives forced to share power.

Development profile (each axis 0–100%, higher is stronger)

Key indicators

Latest available data · World Bank & UNDP.

💹 Economy

GDP (PPP)

$4.29T

GDP/capita (PPP)

$62,557

GDP growth

0.8%

Inflation

0.9%

Unemployment

7.5%

👥 People

Life expectancy

83.0 yrs

Fertility rate

1.61

Pop. growth

0.2%

Urban population

78.8%

Infant mortality /1k

3.4

🌍 Quality of Life

Internet users

88.7%

Physicians /1k

3.28

Renewable energy

16.2%

France's GDP over time (nominal, US$)

Travel & practical

Capital

Paris

Currency

EUR

Dialing code

+33

Internet TLD

.fr

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Fun facts about France

France is the most-visited country in the world by international tourist arrivals.
Counting its overseas territories, France spans 12 time zones — the most of any country.
It is the only nuclear-armed power in the European Union.
France is the 23rd most populous country in the world, with about 68.72 million people.
By land area it is the 48th-largest country in the world, covering 551,695 km².
It has the world's 7th-largest economy by nominal GDP ($3.37T).
France shares land borders with 8 countries.