Background: France today is one of the most modern countries in the world and is a leader among European nations. It plays an influential global role as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, NATO, the G-7, the G-20, the EU, and other multilateral organizations. France rejoined NATO's integrated military command structure in 2009, reversing then President Charles DE GAULLE's 1966 decision to withdraw French forces from NATO. Since 1958, it has constructed a hybrid presidential-parliamentary governing system resistant to the instabilities experienced in earlier, more purely parliamentary administrations. In recent decades, its reconciliation and cooperation with Germany have proved central to the economic integration of Europe, including the introduction of a common currency, the euro, in January 1999. In the early 21st century, five French overseas entities -- French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, and Réunion -- became French regions and were made part of France proper.

Area
Total: 643,801 km² ; 551,500 km² (metropolitan France)
Land: 640,427 km² ; 549,970 km² (metropolitan France)
Water: 3,374 km² ; 1,530 km² (metropolitan France)
Note: the first numbers include the overseas regions of French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, and Réunion
Comparative: slightly more than four times the size of Georgia; slightly less than the size of Texas

Land boundaries
Total: 3,956 km
Border countries (8): (8) Andorra 55 km; Belgium 556 km; Germany 418 km; Italy 476 km; Luxembourg 69 km; Monaco 6 km; Spain 646 km; Switzerland 525 km
Metropolitan France - total: 2,751 km
French Guiana - total: 1205 km

Coastline: 4,853 km
Metropolitan France: 3,427 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm (does not apply to the Mediterranean Sea)
Continental shelf: 200m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate
Metropolitan France: generally cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and hot summers along the Mediterranean; occasional strong, cold, dry, north-to-northwesterly wind known as the mistral
French Guiana: tropical; hot, humid; little seasonal temperature variation
Guadeloupe and Martinique: subtropical tempered by trade winds; moderately high humidity; rainy season (June to October); vulnerable to devastating cyclones (hurricanes) every eight years on average
Mayotte: tropical; marine; hot, humid, rainy season during northeastern monsoon (November to May); dry season is cooler (May to November)
Réunion: tropical, but temperature moderates with elevation; cool and dry (May to November), hot and rainy (November to April)

Terrain
Metropolitan France: mostly flat plains or gently rolling hills in north and west; remainder is mountainous, especially Pyrenees in south, Alps in east
French Guiana: low-lying coastal plains rising to hills and small mountains
Guadeloupe: Basse-Terre is volcanic in origin with interior mountains; Grande-Terre is low limestone formation; most of the seven other islands are volcanic in origin
Martinique: mountainous with indented coastline; dormant volcano
Mayotte: generally undulating, with deep ravines and ancient volcanic peaks
Réunion: mostly rugged and mountainous; fertile lowlands along coast

Elevation
Highest point: Mont Blanc 4,810
Lowest point: Rhone River delta -2 m
Mean elevation: 375 m
Note: to assess the possible effects of climate change on the ice and snow cap of Mont Blanc, its surface and peak have been extensively measured in recent years; these new peak measurements have exceeded the traditional height of 4,807 m and have varied between 4,808 m and 4,811 m; the actual rock summit is 4,792 m and is 40 m away from the ice-covered summit

Land use
Agricultural land: 52.5% (2023 est.)
Arable land: 31.4% (2023 est.)
Permanent crops: 1.9% (2023 est.)
Permanent pasture: 19.2% (2023 est.)
Forest: 32.7% (2023 est.)
Other: 15% (2023 est.)

Irrigated land: 14,236 km² (2020)

Major rivers: Rhin (Rhine) (shared with Switzerland [s], Germany, and Netherlands [m]) - 1,233 km; Loire - 1,012 km
Note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Natural hazards
Metropolitan France: flooding; avalanches; midwinter windstorms; drought; forest fires in south
Overseas departments: hurricanes (cyclones); flooding
Volcanism: Montagne Pelée (1,394 m) on the island of Martinique in the Caribbean is the most active volcano of the Lesser Antilles arc, although it last erupted in 1932; a catastrophic eruption in 1902 destroyed the city of St. Pierre, killing an estimated 30,000 people; La Soufrière (1,467 m) on the island of Guadeloupe has also had explosive eruptions in recent years

Geography
Note: largest Western European nation; most major French rivers -- the Meuse, Seine, Loire, Charente, Dordogne, and Garonne -- flow northward or westward into the Atlantic Ocean, only the Rhone flows southward into the Mediterranean Sea

Population
Total: 68,374,591 (2024 est.)
Male: 33,557,094
Female: 34,817,497
Distribution: 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
Growth rate: 0.2% (2024 est.)

Languages: French (official) 100%, declining regional dialects and languages (Provençal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish, Occitan, Picard)
Major-language sample(s): ; The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French); The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Note: overseas departments - French, Creole patois, Mahorian (a Swahili dialect)

Religions: Roman Catholic 47%, Muslim 4%, Protestant 2%, Buddhist 2%, Orthodox 1%, Jewish 1%, other 1%, none 33%, unspecified 9% (2021 est.)
Note: France maintains a tradition of secularism and has not officially collected data on religious affiliation since the 1872 national census, which complicates assessments of France's religious composition; an 1872 law prohibiting state authorities from collecting data on individuals' ethnicity or religious beliefs was reaffirmed by a 1978 law emphasizing the prohibition of the collection or exploitation of personal data revealing an individual's race, ethnicity, or political, philosophical, or religious opinions; a 1905 law codified France's separation of church and state

Age structure
0-14 years: 17.3% (male 6,060,087/female 5,792,805)
15-64 years: 60.7% (male 20,875,861/female 20,615,847)
65 years and over: 22% (2024 est.) (male 6,621,146/female 8,408,845)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 64.8 (2024 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 28.6 (2024 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 36.2 (2024 est.)
Potential support ratio: 2.8 (2024 est.)

Median age
Total: 42.6 years (2024 est.)
Male: 41 years
Female: 44.2 years

Population growth rate: 0.2% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 10.9 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 10 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Population distribution: 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

Urbanization
Urban population: 81.8% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 0.67% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 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)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 7 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 3.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 3.4 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 2.8 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 82.6 years (2024 est.)
Male: 79.8 years
Female: 85.5 years

Total fertility rate: 1.9 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Drinking water source
Urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Total: 0% of population (2022 est.)

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 7.4% (2024 est.); 7.4% (2023 est.); 7.4% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Capital
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 Réunion
Etymology: name derives from the Parisii, a Celtic tribe that inhabited the area from the 3rd 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 Paris

Administrative divisions: 18 regions (régions, singular - région); Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Bretagne (Brittany), Centre-Val de Loire (Center-Loire Valley), Corse (Corsica), Grand Est (Grand East), Guadeloupe, Guyane (French Guiana), Hauts-de-France (Upper France), Ile-de-France, Martinique, Mayotte, Normandie (Normandy), Nouvelle-Aquitaine (New Aquitaine), Occitanie (Occitania), Pays de la Loire (Lands of the Loire), Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Réunion
Note: France is divided into 13 metropolitan regions (including the 'collectivity' of Corse, or Corsica) and 5 overseas regions (French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, and Réunion) and is subdivided into 96 metropolitan departments and 5 overseas departments (which are the same as the overseas regions)

Dependent areas: (2) Clipperton Island, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, New Caledonia, Saint-Barthé, lemy, Saint-Martin, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, Wallis and Futuna (8)
Note: the US Government does not recognize claims to Antarctica; New Caledonia has been considered a 'sui generis' collectivity of France since 1998, a unique status falling between that of an independent country and a French overseas department

Legal system: civil law; review of administrative but not legislative acts

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Emmanuel MACRON (since 14 May 2017)
Head of government: Sébastien LECORNU (since 10 September 2025)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president at the suggestion of the prime minister
Election/appointment process: president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister appointed by the president
Most recent election date: 10 April 2022, with a runoff held on 24 April 2022
2022: Emmanuel MACRON reelected in second round; percent of vote in first round - Emmanuel MACRON (LREM) 27.8%, Marine LE PEN (RN) 23.2%, Jean-Luc MELENCHON (LFI) 22%, Eric ZEMMOUR (Reconquête) 7.1%, Valerie PECRESSE (LR) 4.8%, Yannick JADOT (EELV) 4.6%, other 10.6%; percent of vote in second round - MACRON 58.5%, LE PEN 41.5%
2017: Emmanuel MACRON elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Emmanuel MACRON (EM) 24%, Marine LE PEN (FN) 21.3%, Francois FILLON (LR) 20%, Jean-Luc MELENCHON (FI) 19.6%, Benoit HAMON (PS) 6.4%, other 8.7%; percent of vote in second round - MACRON 66.1%, LE PEN 33.9%
Expected date of next election: April 2,027

Legislative branch
Legislature name: Parliament (Parlement)
Legislative structure: bicameral

Flag description: three equal vertical bands of blue (left side), white, and red

National anthem
Title: 'La Marseillaise' (The Song of Marseille)
Lyrics/music: Claude-Joseph ROUGET de Lisle
History: adopted 1795, restored 1870; acquired its name when the National Guard of Marseille sang the song while marching into Paris in 1792 during the French Revolution; one of the most recognized anthems in the world

National heritage
Total World Heritage Sites: 54 (46 cultural, 7 natural, 1 mixed); note - includes one site in New Caledonia and one site in French Polynesia
Selected World Heritage Site locales:

Real gdp growth rate: 1.2% (2024 est.); 0.9% (2023 est.); 2.6% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real gdp per capita: 1.2% (2024 est.); 0.9% (2023 est.); 2.6% (2022 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 53.4% (2023 est.)
Government consumption: 23.1% (2023 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 23.1% (2023 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0.1% (2023 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 34.3% (2023 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -36.3% (2023 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 1.4% (2024 est.)
Industry: 17.5% (2024 est.)
Services: 70.4% (2024 est.)
Note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Industries: machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft, electronics, textiles, food processing, tourism

Industrial production growth rate: 0.7% (2024 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Labor force: 31.725 million (2024 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Unemployment rate: 7.4% (2024 est.); 7.4% (2023 est.); 7.4% (2022 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment
Rate (ages 15-24): 7.4% (2024 est.); 7.4% (2023 est.); 7.4% (2022 est.)
Rate (ages 15-24) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Budget
Revenues: $1.29 trillion (2023 est.)
Expenditures: $1.447 trillion (2023 est.)
Note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Taxes and other revenues: 23.1% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
Note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Exports: $1.071 trillion (2024 est.); $1.05 trillion (2023 est.); $1.021 trillion (2022 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: aircraft, cars, packaged medicine, gas turbines, vehicle parts/accessories (2023)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports: $1.074 trillion (2024 est.); $1.094 trillion (2023 est.); $1.092 trillion (2022 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
Commodities: cars, natural gas, crude petroleum, refined petroleum, garments (2023)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Electricity
Installed generating capacity: 151.463 million kW (2023 est.)
Consumption: 415.542 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Exports: 76.207 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Imports: 25.107 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 35.282 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Access electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 7.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources nuclear: 63.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources solar: 4.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources wind: 10.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 10.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources tide and wave: 0.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 2.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Coal
Production: 2.157 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Consumption: 12.57 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Exports: 64,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
Imports: 10.347 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Proven reserves: 160 million metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 80,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 1.536 million bbl/day (2024 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 61.719 million barrels (2021 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 17.928 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
Consumption: 33.238 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Exports: 13.584 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Imports: 46.909 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Proven reserves: 7.787 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 303.779 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 25.355 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 209.4 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 69.025 million metric tonnes of CO&sub2; (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 123.526 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 37.22 million (2023 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 56 (2023 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 77.4 million (2023 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 119 (2022 est.)

Internet
Users percent of population: 87% (2023 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 32.3 million (2023 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 49 (2023 est.)

Military expenditures: 2.1% of GDP (2025 est.); 2% of GDP (2024 est.); 1.9% of GDP (2023 est.); 1.9% of GDP (2022 est.); 1.9% of GDP (2021 est.)

Airports: 1,218 (2025)
Note: Includes 29 airports in French overseas departments (French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, Réunion)

Heliports: 405 (2025)
Note: Includes 11 heliports in French overseas departments (French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, Réunion)

Railways
Total: 27,860 km (2020) 16,660 km electrified
Narrow gauge: -5 km

Merchant marine
Total: 553 (2023)
By type: container ship 32, general cargo 48, oil tanker 25, other 448
Note: includes Monaco