Compare Countries
Select up to 4 countries for side-by-side comparison
Introduction
| Field |
France |
United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| 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 integr... | The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was created when the Kingdoms of England and Scotland -- which previously had been distinct states under a single monarchy -- were joined under the 1701 Acts of Union. The island of Ireland was incorporated under the 1800 Acts of Union, while ... |
Geography
| Field |
France |
United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Location | 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... | Western Europe, islands - including the northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland - between the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea; northwest of France |
| Area | 643,801 sq km ; 551,500 sq km (metropolitan France) | 243,610 sq km |
| 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 | temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than one-half of the days are overcast |
| 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;... | mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to rolling plains in east and southeast |
| Natural resources | 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 | coal, petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, lead, zinc, gold, tin, limestone, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, potash, silica sand, slate, arable land |
| Elevation | 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 ... | Ben Nevis 1,345 m |
People and Society
| Field |
France |
United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 68,374,591 | 68,459,055 United Kingdom |
| Languages | note: overseas departments - French, Creole patois, Mahorian (a Swahili dialect) | English |
| Religions | Roman Catholic 47%, Muslim 4%, Protestant 2%, Buddhist 2%, Orthodox 1%, Jewish 1%, other 1%, none 33%, unspecified 9% (2021 est.) | Christian (includes Anglican, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist) 59.5%, Muslim 4.4%, Hindu 1.3%, other 2%, unspecified 7.2%, none 25.7% (2011 est.) |
| Age structure | 17.3% (male 6,060,087/female 5,792,805) | 16.7% (male 5,872,937/female 5,592,665) |
| Median age | 42.6 years (2024 est.) | 40.8 years (2024 est.) |
| Population growth rate | 0.2% (2024 est.) | 0.45% (2024 est.) |
| Birth rate | 10.9 births/1,000 population (2024 est.) | 10.8 births/1,000 population (2024 est.) |
| Death rate | 10 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.) | 9.2 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth | 82.6 years (2024 est.) | 82.2 years (2024 est.) |
| Literacy | NA | NA |
Government
| Field |
France |
United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Government type | semi-presidential republic | parliamentary constitutional monarchy; a Commonwealth realm |
| Capital | Paris | London |
| Independence | 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... | no official date of independence: 927 (minor English kingdoms unite); 3 March 1284 (enactment of the Statute of Rhuddlan uniting England and Wales); 1536 (Act of Union formally incorporates England and Wales); 1 May 1707 (Acts of Union formally unite England, Scotland, and Wales as Great Britain); 1... |
| Constitution | many previous; latest effective 4 October 1958 | uncoded; partly statutes, partly common law and practice |
| Legal system | civil law; review of administrative but not legislative acts | common law system; has nonbinding judicial review of Acts of Parliament under the Human Rights Act of 1998 |
Economy
| Field |
France |
United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft, electronics, textiles, food processing, tourism | machine tools, electric power equipment, automation equipment, railroad equipment, shipbuilding, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, electronics and communications equipment, metals, chemicals, coal, petroleum, paper and paper products, food processing, textiles, clothing, other consumer goods |
| 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: central government debt as a % of GDP | note: central government debt as a % of GDP |
Communications
| Field |
France |
United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 76.807 million (2022 est.) | 81.564 million (2022 est.) |
| Internet users | 55.9 million (2021 est.) | 64.99 million (2021 est.) |
Military and Security
| Field |
France |
United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Military expenditures | 2.1% of GDP (2024 est.) | 2.3% of GDP (2024 est.) |
| Military and security forces | 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) | United Kingdom Armed Forces (aka British Armed Forces, aka His Majesty's Armed Forces): British Army, Royal Navy (includes Royal Marines), Royal Air Force (2024) |
Transportation
| Field |
France |
United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| Airports | 689 (2024) | 1,043 (2024) |
| Railways | 27,860 km (2020) 16,660 km electrified | 16,390 km (2020) 6,167 km electrified |
| Roadways | 1,090,059 km (2022) | 416,461 km (2022) |