Compare Countries
Select up to 4 countries for side-by-side comparison
Introduction
| Field |
Germany |
France |
|---|---|---|
| Background | As Europe's largest economy and second most-populous nation (after Russia), Germany is a key member of the continent's economic, political, and defense organizations. European power struggles immersed Germany in two devastating world wars in the first half of the 20th century and left the country oc... | 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 integr... |
Geography
| Field |
Germany |
France |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, between the Netherlands and Poland, south of Denmark | 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; Guad... |
| Area | 357,022 sq km | 643,801 sq km ; 551,500 sq km (metropolitan France) |
| Climate | temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm mountain (foehn) wind | 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 |
| Terrain | lowlands in north, uplands in center, Bavarian Alps in south | 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;... |
| Natural resources | coal, lignite, natural gas, iron ore, copper, nickel, uranium, potash, salt, construction materials, timber, arable land | metropolitan France: coal, iron ore, bauxite, zinc, uranium, antimony, arsenic, potash, feldspar, fluorspar, gypsum, timber, arable land, fish; French Guiana: gold deposits, petroleum, kaolin, niobium, tantalum, clay |
| Elevation | Zugspitze 2,963 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 ... |
People and Society
| Field |
Germany |
France |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 84,119,100 | 68,374,591 |
| Languages | German (official); note - Danish, Frisian, Sorbian, and Romani are official minority languages; Low German, Danish, North Frisian, Sater Frisian, Lower Sorbian, Upper Sorbian, and Romani are recognized as regional languages | note: overseas departments - French, Creole patois, Mahorian (a Swahili dialect) |
| Religions | Roman Catholic 24.8%, Protestant 22.6%, Muslim 3.7%, other 5.1%, none 43.8% (2022 est.) | Roman Catholic 47%, Muslim 4%, Protestant 2%, Buddhist 2%, Orthodox 1%, Jewish 1%, other 1%, none 33%, unspecified 9% (2021 est.) |
| Age structure | 13.8% (male 5,925,800/female 5,688,603) | 17.3% (male 6,060,087/female 5,792,805) |
| Median age | 46.8 years (2024 est.) | 42.6 years (2024 est.) |
| Population growth rate | -0.12% (2024 est.) | 0.2% (2024 est.) |
| Birth rate | 8.9 births/1,000 population (2024 est.) | 10.9 births/1,000 population (2024 est.) |
| Death rate | 12 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.) | 10 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth | 81.9 years (2024 est.) | 82.6 years (2024 est.) |
| Literacy | NA | NA |
Government
| Field |
Germany |
France |
|---|---|---|
| Government type | federal parliamentary republic | semi-presidential republic |
| Capital | Berlin | Paris |
| Independence | 18 January 1871 (establishment of the German Empire); divided into four zones of occupation (UK, US, USSR, and France) in 1945 following World War II; Federal Republic of Germany (FRG or West Germany) proclaimed on 23 May 1949 and included the former UK, US, and French zones; German Democratic Repub... | no official date of independence: 486 (Frankish tribes unified under Merovingian kingship); 10 August 843 (Western Francia established from the division of the Carolingian Empire); 14 July 1789 (French monarchy overthrown); 22 September 1792 (First French Republic founded); 4 October 1958 (Fifth Fre... |
| Constitution | previous 1919 (Weimar Constitution); latest drafted 10-23 August 1948, approved 12 May 1949, promulgated 23 May 1949, entered into force 24 May 1949 | many previous; latest effective 4 October 1958 |
| Legal system | civil law system | civil law; review of administrative but not legislative acts |
Economy
| Field |
Germany |
France |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (purchasing power parity) | — | — |
| GDP - per capita (PPP) | — | — |
| GDP - real growth rate | — | — |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | note: annual % change based on consumer prices | note: annual % change based on consumer prices |
| Unemployment rate | note: % of labor force seeking employment | note: % of labor force seeking employment |
| Industries | iron, steel, coal, cement, chemicals, machinery, vehicles, machine tools, electronics, automobiles, food and beverages, shipbuilding, textiles | machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft, electronics, textiles, food processing, tourism |
| Agriculture - products | — | — |
| Exports | note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars | note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars |
| Imports | note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars | note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars |
| Public debt | note: general government gross debt is defined in the Maastricht Treaty as consolidated general government gross debt at nominal value, outstanding at the end of the year in the following categories of government liabilities (as defined in ESA95): currency and deposits (AF.2), securities other than ... | note: central government debt as a % of GDP |
Communications
| Field |
Germany |
France |
|---|---|---|
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 104.4 million (2022 est.) | 76.807 million (2022 est.) |
| Internet users | 75.53 million (2021 est.) | 55.9 million (2021 est.) |
Military and Security
| Field |
Germany |
France |
|---|---|---|
| Military expenditures | 2.1% of GDP (2024 est.) | 2.1% of GDP (2024 est.) |
| Military and security forces | Federal Armed Forces (Bundeswehr): Army (Heer), Navy (Deutsche Marine, includes naval air arm), Air Force (Luftwaffe, includes air defense), Joint Support and Enabling Service (Streitkraeftebasis, SKB), Central Medical Service (Zentraler Sanitaetsdienst, ZSanDstBw), Cyber and Information Space Comma... | French Armed Forces (Forces Armées Françaises): Army (l'Armee de Terre; includes Foreign Legion), Navy (Marine Nationale), Air and Space Force (l'Armee de l’Air et de l’Espace); includes Air Defense), National Guard (Reserves), National Gendarmerie (2024) |
Transportation
| Field |
Germany |
France |
|---|---|---|
| Airports | 838 (2024) | 689 (2024) |
| Railways | 39,379 km (2020) 20,942 km electrified | 27,860 km (2020) 16,660 km electrified |
| Roadways | 830,000 km 830,000 km | 1,090,059 km (2022) |