2018 Edition

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 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 Reunion - became French regions and were made part of France proper.

Area

land

640,427 sq km

note

551,500 sq km (metropolitan France) 549,970 sq km (metropolitan France) 1,530 sq km (metropolitan France) note: the first numbers include the overseas regions of French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, and Reunion

total

643,801 sq km

water

3,374 sq km

Area Comparative

slightly more than four times the size of Georgia; slightly less than the size of Texas

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 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); Reunion: tropical, but temperature moderates with elevation; cool and dry (May to November), hot and rainy (November to April)

Coastline

4,853 km

note

metropolitan France: 3,427 km

Elevation

elevation extremes

-2 m lowest point: Rhone River delta

mean elevation

375 m

note

4810 highest point: Mont Blanc 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

Environment Current Issues

some forest damage from acid rain; air pollution from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution from urban wastes, agricultural runoff

Environment International Agreements

party to

Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Geographic Coordinates

metropolitan France: 46 00 N, 2 00 E; French Guiana: 4 00 N, 53 00 W; Guadeloupe: 16 15 N, 61 35 W; Martinique: 14 40 N, 61 00 W; Mayotte: 12 50 S, 45 10 E; Reunion: 21 06 S, 55 36 E

Geography Note

largest West 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

Irrigated Land

26,420 sq km 26,950 sq km (2012)

note

metropolitan France: 26,000 sq km (2012)

Land Boundaries

border countries (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

French Guiana - total

1205

metropolitan France - total

2751

Land Use

arable land: 33.4% (2011 est.) / permanent crops: 1.8% (2011 est.) / permanent pasture: 17.5% (2011 est.)

agricultural land

52.7% (2011 est.)

forest

29.2% (2011 est.)

other

18.1% (2011 est.)

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; 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

Map References

metropolitan France: Europe; French Guiana: South America; Guadeloupe: Central America and the Caribbean; Martinique: Central America and the Caribbean; Mayotte: Africa; Reunion: World

Maritime Claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

exclusive economic zone

200 nm (does not apply to the Mediterranean Sea)

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural Hazards

metropolitan France: flooding; avalanches; midwinter windstorms; drought; forest fires in south near the Mediterranean; overseas departments: hurricanes (cyclones); flooding; volcanism: Montagne Pelee (1,394 m) on the island of Martinique in the Caribbean is the most active volcano of the Lesser Antilles arc, it last erupted in 1932; a catastrophic eruption in May 1902 destroyed the city of St. Pierre, killing an estimated 30,000 people;; La Soufriere (1,467 m) on the island of Guadeloupe in the Caribbean last erupted from July 1976 to March 1977;; these volcanoes are part of the volcanic island arc of the Lesser Antilles that extends from Saba in the north to Grenada in the south

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

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

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; Reunion: mostly rugged and mountainous; fertile lowlands along coast

Age Structure

0-14 years

18.48% (male 6,366,789 /female 6,082,729)

15-24 years

11.8% (male 4,065,780 /female 3,884,488)

25-54 years

37.48% (male 12,731,825 /female 12,515,501)

55-64 years

12.42% (male 4,035,073 /female 4,331,751)

65 years and over

19.82% (male 5,781,410 /female 7,569,011) (2018 est.)

Birth Rate

12.1 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Contraceptive Prevalence Rate

78.4% (2010/11)

Death Rate

9.4 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Dependency Ratios

elderly dependency ratio

30.2 (2015 est.)

potential support ratio

3.3 (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

59.2 (2015 est.)

youth dependency ratio

29.1 (2015 est.)

Drinking Water Source

improved: urban: 100% of population

rural: 100% of population

total: 100% of population

unimproved: urban: 0% of population

rural: 0% of population

total: 0% of population (2015 est.)

Education Expenditures

5.5% of GDP (2014)

Ethnic Groups

Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African, Indochinese, Basque minorities

note

overseas departments: black, white, mulatto, East Indian, Chinese, Amerindian

Health Expenditures

11.5% of GDP (2014)

Hiv Aids Adult Prevalence Rate

0.5% (2017 est.)

Hiv Aids Deaths

<500 (2017 est.)

Hiv Aids People Living With Hiv Aids

200,000 (2017 est.)

Hospital Bed Density

6.5 beds/1,000 population (2013)

Infant Mortality Rate

female

2.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

male

3.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

total

3.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Languages

French (official) 100%, French (official) declining regional dialects and languages (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish, Occitan, Picard)

note

overseas departments: French, Creole patois, Mahorian (a Swahili dialect)

Life Expectancy At Birth

female

85.3 years (2018 est.)

male

78.9 years (2018 est.)

total population

82 years (2018 est.)

Major Urban Areas Population

10.901 million PARIS (capital), 1.69 million Lyon, 1.599 million Marseille-Aix-en-Provence, 1.054 million Lille, 997,000 Toulouse, 945,000 Bordeaux (2018)

Maternal Mortality Rate

8 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

Median Age

female

43.2 years (2018 est.)

male

39.7 years

total

41.5 years

Mother S Mean Age At First Birth

28.1 years (2010 est.)

Nationality

adjective

French

noun

Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women)

Net Migration Rate

1.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate

21.6% (2016)

Physicians Density

3.24 physicians/1,000 population (2016)

Population

67,364,357 (July 2018 est.)

note

the above figure is for metropolitan France and five overseas regions; the metropolitan France population is 62,814,233

Population Growth Rate

0.37% (2018 est.)

Religions

Christian (overwhelmingly Roman Catholic) 63-66%, Muslim 7-9%, Buddhist 0.5-0.75%, Jewish 0.5-0.75%, other 0.5-1.0%, none 23-28% (2015 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

Sanitation Facility Access

improved: urban: 98.6% of population (2015 est.)

rural: 98.9% of population (2015 est.)

total: 98.7% of population (2015 est.)

unimproved: urban: 1.4% of population (2015 est.)

rural: 1.1% of population (2015 est.)

total: 1.3% of population (2015 est.)

School Life Expectancy Primary To Tertiary Education

female

17 years (2014)

male

16 years (2014)

total

16 years (2014)

Sex Ratio

0-14 years

1.05 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

15-24 years

1.05 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

25-54 years

1.01 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

55-64 years

0.93 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

65 years and over

0.75 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

total population

0.96 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

2.06 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Unemployment Youth Ages 15 24

female

24.1% (2016 est.)

male

25.1% (2016 est.)

total

24.6% (2016 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.72% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

urban population

80.4% of total population (2018)

Administrative Divisions

18 regions (regions, singular - region); Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, Bourgogne-Franche-Comte (Burgundy-Free County), 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-Cote d'Azur, Reunion

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 Reunion) and is subdivided into 96 metropolitan departments and 5 overseas departments (which are the same as the overseas regions)

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

geographic coordinates

48 52 N, 2 20 E

name

Paris

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

time difference

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

Citizenship

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

Constitution

amendments

proposed by the president of the republic (upon recommendation of the prime minister and Parliament) or by Parliament; proposals submitted by Parliament members require passage by both houses followed by approval in a referendum; passage of proposals submitted by the government can bypass a referendum if submitted by the president to Parliament and passed by at least three-fifths majority vote by Parliament’s National Assembly; amended many times, last in 2008; note - in May 2018, the prime minister submitted a bill to the National Assembly to amend several provisions of the constitution (2018)

history

many previous; latest effective 4 October 1958 (2018)

Country Name

conventional long form

French Republic

conventional short form

France

etymology

name derives from the Latin "Francia" meaning "Land of the Franks"; the Franks were a group of Germanic tribes located along the middle and lower Rhine River in the 3rd century A.D. who merged with Gallic-Roman populations in succeeding centuries and to whom they passed on their name

local long form

Republique francaise

local short form

France

Dependent Areas

Clipperton Island, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Lands, New Caledonia, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Martin, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Wallis and Futuna

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

Diplomatic Representation From The Us

chief of mission

Ambassador Jamie D. McCOURT (since 18 December 2017); note - also accredited to Monaco

consulate(s)

Bordeaux, Lyon, Rennes, Toulouse

consulate(s) general

Marseille, Strasbourg

embassy

2 Avenue Gabriel, 75382 Paris Cedex 08

FAX

[33] (1) 42 66 97 83

mailing address

PSC 116, APO AE 09777

telephone

[33] (1) 43-12-22-22

Diplomatic Representation In The Us

chancery

4101 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC 20007

chief of mission

Ambassador Gerard Roger ARAUD (since 18 September 2014)

consulate(s) general

Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, Washington DC

FAX

[1] (202) 944-6166

telephone

[1] (202) 944-6000

Executive Branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president at the suggestion of the prime minister

chief of state

President Emmanuel MACRON (since 14 May 2017)

election results

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%

elections/appointments

president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 23 April with a runoff on 7 May 2017 (next to be held in April 2022); prime minister appointed by the president

head of government

Prime Minister Edouard PHILIPPE (since 15 May 2017)

Flag Description

three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), white, and red; known as the "Le drapeau tricolore" (French Tricolor), the origin of the flag dates to 1790 and the French Revolution when the "ancient French color" of white was combined with the blue and red colors of the Parisian militia; the official flag for all French dependent areas

note

the design and/or colors are similar to a number of other flags, including those of Belgium, Chad, Cote d'Ivoire, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, and Netherlands

Government Type

semi-presidential republic

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 French Republic established)

International Law Organization Participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International Organization Participation

ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council (observer), Australia Group, BDEAC, BIS, BSEC (observer), CBSS (observer), CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, FZ, G-5, G-7, G-8, G-10, G-20, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSMA, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PIF (partner), Schengen Convention, SELEC (observer), SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNRWA, UN Security Council (permanent), UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Judicial Branch

highest courts

Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation (consists of the court president, 6 divisional presiding judges, 120 trial judges, and 70 deputy judges organized into 6 divisions - 3 civil, 1 commercial, 1 labor, and 1 criminal); Constitutional Council (consists of 9 members)

judge selection and term of office

Court of Cassation judges appointed by the president of the republic from nominations from the High Council of the Judiciary, presided over by the Court of Cassation and 15 appointed members; judges appointed for life; Constitutional Council members - 3 appointed by the president of the republic and 3 each by the National Assembly and Senate presidents; members serve 9-year, non-renewable terms with one-third of the membership renewed every 3 years

note

in April 2018, the French Government announced its intention to reform the country's judicial system

subordinate courts

appellate courts or Cour d'Appel; regional courts or Tribunal de Grande Instance; first instance courts or Tribunal d'instance; administrative courts

Legal System

civil law; review of administrative but not legislative acts

Legislative Branch

description

bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of:Senate or Senat (348 seats - 328 for metropolitan France and overseas departments and regions of Guadeloupe, Martinque, French Guiana, Reunion, and Mayotte, 2 for New Caledonia, 2 for French Polynesia, 1 for Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, 1 for Saint-Barthelemy, 1 for Saint-Martin, 1 for Wallis and Futuna, and 12 for French nationals abroad; members indirectly elected by departmental electoral colleges using absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed for departments with 1-3 members and proportional representation vote in departments with 4 or more members; members serve 6-year terms with one-half of the membership renewed every 3 years) National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (577 seats - 556 for metropolitan France, 10 for overseas departments, and 11 for citizens abroad; members directly elected by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed to serve 5-year terms)

election results

Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - LR 146, SOC 78, UC 49, REM 21, CRC 21, other 33 National Assembly - percent of vote by party first round - REM 28.2%, LR 15.8%. FN 13.2%, FI 11%, PS 7.4%, other 24.4%; percent of vote by party second round - REM 43.1%, LR 22.2%, FN 8.8%, MoDEM 6.1%, PS 5.7%. FI 4.9%, other 9.2%; seats by party - EM 308, LR 112, MoDEM 42, PS 29, UDI 18, FI 17, PCF 10, FN 8, other 33

elections

Senate - last held on 24 September 2017 (next to be held on 24 September 2020) National Assembly - last held on 11 and 18 June 2017 (next to be held in June 2022)

National Anthem

lyrics/music

Claude-Joseph ROUGET de Lisle

name

"La Marseillaise" (The Song of Marseille)

note

adopted 1795, restored 1870; originally known as "Chant de Guerre pour l'Armee du Rhin" (War Song for the Army of the Rhine), the National Guard of Marseille made the song famous by singing it while marching into Paris in 1792 during the French Revolutionary Wars

National Holiday

Fete de la Federation, 14 July (1790); note - although often incorrectly referred to as Bastille Day, the celebration actually commemorates the holiday held on the first anniversary of the storming of the Bastille (on 14 July 1789) and the establishment of a constitutional monarchy; other names for the holiday are Fete Nationale (National Holiday) and quatorze juillet (14th of July)

National Symbol S

Gallic rooster, fleur-de-lis, Marianne (female personification); national colors: blue, white, red

Political Parties And Leaders

Democratic Movement or MoDEM [Francois BAYROU]Europe Ecology - The Greens or EELV [David CORMAND]French Communist Party or PCF [Pierre LAURENT]La France Insoumise or FI [Jean-Luc MELENCHON]Left Front Coalition or FDG [Jean-Luc MELENCHON]Left Party or PG [linked with the movement La France Insoumise or FI [Jean-Luc MELENCHON]]Left Radical Party or PRG [Sylvia PINEL] (formerly Radical Socialist Party or PRS and the Left Radical Movement or MRG)Movement for France or MPF [Philippe DE VILLIERS]National Rally or RN [Marine LE PEN] (formerly National Front or FN)New Anticapitalist Party or NPA [collective leadership; Christine POUPIN, main spokesperson; Philippe POUTOU, presidential candidate]Rally for France or RPF [Igor KUREK]Republican and Citizen Movement or MRC [Jean-Luc LAURENT]Socialist Party or PS [Rachid TEMAL, interim leader]Stand Up France (Debout La France) [Nicolas DUPONT-AIGNAN]The Centrists [Herve MORIN] (formerly new Center or NC)The Republic on the Move (La Republique en Marche) or REM [Christophe CASTANER]The Republicans or LR [Laurent WAUQUIEZ] (formerly Union for a Popular Movement or UMP)Union des Democrates et Independants or UDI [Jean-Christohe LAGARDE] and Democratic Movement or MoDem [Francois BAYROU] (previously Union for French Democracy or UDF); together known as UDI-Modem; Radical Party [Laurent HENART] is a member of UDI)United Republic or RS [Dominique DE VILLEPIN]Worker's Struggle (Lutte Ouvriere) or LO [Nathalie ARTHAUD, Arlette LAGUILLER, spokespersons] (also known as Communist Union)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture Products

wheat, cereals, sugar beets, potatoes, wine grapes; beef, dairy products; fish

Budget

expenditures

1.459 trillion (2017 est.)

revenues

1.392 trillion (2017 est.)

Budget Surplus Or Deficit

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

Central Bank Discount Rate

0% (31 December 2016)

0.05% (31 December 2015)

note

this is the European Central Bank's rate on the marginal lending facility, which offers overnight credit to banks in the euro area

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

1.29% (31 December 2017 est.)

1.6% (31 December 2016 est.)

Current Account Balance

-$14.83 billion (2017 est.)

-$18.55 billion (2016 est.)

Debt External

$5.36 trillion (31 March 2016 est.)

$5.25 trillion (31 March 2015 est.)

Distribution Of Family Income Gini Index

29.3 (2016)

29.2 (2015)

Economy Overview

The French economy is diversified across all sectors. The government has partially or fully privatized many large companies, including Air France, France Telecom, Renault, and Thales. However, the government maintains a strong presence in some sectors, particularly power, public transport, and defense industries. France is the most visited country in the world with 89 million foreign tourists in 2017. France's leaders remain committed to a capitalism in which they maintain social equity by means of laws, tax policies, and social spending that mitigate economic inequality.France's real GDP grew by 1.9% in 2017, up from 1.2% the year before. The unemployment rate (including overseas territories) increased from 7.8% in 2008 to 10.2% in 2015, before falling to 9.0% in 2017. Youth unemployment in metropolitan France decreased from 24.6% in the fourth quarter of 2014 to 20.6% in the fourth quarter of 2017.France’s public finances have historically been strained by high spending and low growth. In 2017, the budget deficit improved to 2.7% of GDP, bringing it in compliance with the EU-mandated 3% deficit target. Meanwhile, France's public debt rose from 89.5% of GDP in 2012 to 97% in 2017.Since entering office in May 2017, President Emmanuel MACRON launched a series of economic reforms to improve competitiveness and boost economic growth. President MACRON campaigned on reforming France’s labor code and in late 2017 implemented a range of reforms to increase flexibility in the labor market by making it easier for firms to hire and fire and simplifying negotiations between employers and employees. In addition to labor reforms, President MACRON’s 2018 budget cuts public spending, taxes, and social security contributions to spur private investment and increase purchasing power. The government plans to gradually reduce corporate tax rate for businesses from 33.3% to 25% by 2022.

Exchange Rates

euros (EUR) per US dollar -

0.885 (2017 est.)

0.903 (2016 est.)

0.9214 (2015 est.)

0.885 (2014 est.)

0.7634 (2013 est.)

Exports

$549.9 billion (2017 est.)

$507 billion (2016 est.)

Exports Commodities

machinery and transportation equipment, aircraft, plastics, chemicals, pharmaceutical products, iron and steel, beverages

Exports Partners

Germany 14.8%, Spain 7.7%, Italy 7.5%, US 7.2%, Belgium 7%, UK 6.7% (2017)

Fiscal Year

calendar year

Gdp Composition By End Use

exports of goods and services

30.9% (2017 est.)

government consumption

23.6% (2017 est.)

household consumption

54.1% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-32% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

22.5% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

0.9% (2017 est.)

Gdp Composition By Sector Of Origin

agriculture

1.7% (2017 est.)

industry

19.5% (2017 est.)

services

78.8% (2017 est.)

Gdp Official Exchange Rate

$2.588 trillion (2017 est.) (2017 est.)

Gdp Per Capita Ppp

$44,100 (2017 est.)

$43,200 (2016 est.)

$42,900 (2015 est.)

note

data are in 2017 dollars

Gdp Purchasing Power Parity

$2.856 trillion (2017 est.)

$2.791 trillion (2016 est.)

$2.761 trillion (2015 est.)

note

data are in 2017 dollars

Gdp Real Growth Rate

2.3% (2017 est.)

1.1% (2016 est.)

1% (2015 est.)

Gross National Saving

22.9% of GDP (2017 est.)

21.9% of GDP (2016 est.)

22.3% of GDP (2015 est.)

Household Income Or Consumption By Percentage Share

highest 10%

25.4% (2013)

lowest 10%

25.4% (2013)

Imports

$601.7 billion (2017 est.)

$536.7 billion (2016 est.)

Imports Commodities

machinery and equipment, vehicles, crude oil, aircraft, plastics, chemicals

Imports Partners

Germany 18.5%, Belgium 10.2%, Netherlands 8.3%, Italy 7.9%, Spain 7.1%, UK 5.3%, US 5.2%, China 5.1% (2017)

Industrial Production Growth Rate

2% (2017 est.)

Industries

machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft, electronics; textiles, food processing; tourism

Inflation Rate Consumer Prices

1.2% (2017 est.)

0.3% (2016 est.)

Labor Force

30.68 million (2017 est.)

Labor Force By Occupation

agriculture

2.8% (2016 est.)

industry

20% (2016 est.)

services

77.2% (2016 est.)

Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares

$1.591 trillion (31 March 2017 est.)

$2.088 trillion (31 December 2015 est.)

$2.086 trillion (31 December 2014 est.)

Population Below Poverty Line

14.2% (2015 est.)

Public Debt

96.8% of GDP (2017 est.)

96.6% of GDP (2016 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

Reserves Of Foreign Exchange And Gold

$156.4 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$138.2 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

Stock Of Broad Money

$1.465 trillion (31 December 2017 est.)

$1.139 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment Abroad

$1.429 trillion (31 December 2017 est.)

$1.259 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment At Home

$858.3 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$807.4 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Domestic Credit

$4.334 trillion (31 December 2017 est.)

$3.646 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock Of Narrow Money

$1.465 trillion (31 December 2017 est.)

$1.139 trillion (31 December 2016 est.)

note

see entry for the European Union for money supply for the entire euro area; the European Central Bank (ECB) controls monetary policy for the 18 members of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU); individual members of the EMU do not control the quantity of money circulating within their own borders

Taxes And Other Revenues

53.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment Rate

9.4% (2017 est.)

10.1% (2016 est.)

note

includes overseas territories

Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Consumption Of Energy

341.2 million Mt (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Imports

1.147 million bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Production

15,170 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Proved Reserves

65.97 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity Access

electrification - total population

100% (2016)

Electricity Consumption

450.8 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Exports

61.41 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity From Fossil Fuels

17% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity From Hydroelectric Plants

15% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Nuclear Fuels

50% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Other Renewable Sources

19% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity Imports

19.9 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Installed Generating Capacity

130.8 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity Production

529.1 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Natural Gas Consumption

41.88 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Exports

6.031 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Imports

48.59 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Production

16.99 million cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Proved Reserves

8.41 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Consumption

1.705 million bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Exports

440,600 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Imports

886,800 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Production

1.311 million bbl/day (2017 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

42 (2017 est.)

total

28.429 million (2017 est.)

Broadcast Media

a mix of both publicly operated and privately owned TV stations; state-owned France television stations operate 4 networks, one of which is a network of regional stations, and has part-interest in several thematic cable/satellite channels and international channels; a large number of privately owned regional and local TV stations; multi-channel satellite and cable services provide a large number of channels; public broadcaster Radio France operates 7 national networks, a series of regional networks, and operates services for overseas territories and foreign audiences; Radio France Internationale, under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is a leading international broadcaster; a large number of commercial FM stations, with many of them consolidating into commercial networks (2008)

Internet Country Code

metropolitan France - .fr; French Guiana - .gf; Guadeloupe - .gp; Martinique - .mq; Mayotte - .yt; Reunion - .re

Internet Users

percent of population

85.6% (July 2016 est.)

total

57,226,585 (July 2016 est.)

Telephone System

domestic

58 per 100 persons for fixed-line and 103 per 100 for mobile-cellular subscriptions (2017)

general assessment

extensive cable and microwave radio relay; extensive use of fiber-optic cable; domestic satellite system; highly developed; 3rd largest in Europe; broadband subscriber rate remains strong at 4% (2017)

international

country code - 33; numerous submarine cables provide links throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and US; satellite earth stations - more than 3 (2 Intelsat (with total of 5 antennas - 2 for Indian Ocean and 3 for Atlantic Ocean), NA Eutelsat, 1 Inmarsat - Atlantic Ocean region); HF radiotelephone communications with more than 20 countries (2015)

overseas departments

country codes: French Guiana - 594; Guadeloupe - 590; Martinique - 596; Mayotte - 262; Reunion - 262; ACE submarine cable connecting France with African markets extended (2015)

Telephones Fixed Lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

58 (2017 est.)

total subscriptions

38.687 million (2017 est.)

Telephones Mobile Cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

103 (2017 est.)

total subscriptions

69.017 million (2017 est.)

Airports

464 (2013)

Airports With Paved Runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

97 (2017)

2,438 to 3,047 m

25 (2017)

914 to 1,523 m

83 (2017)

over 3,047 m

14 (2017)

total

294 (2017)

under 914 m

75 (2017)

Airports With Unpaved Runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

1 (2013)

914 to 1,523 m

64 (2013)

total

170 (2013)

under 914 m

105 (2013)

Civil Aircraft Registration Country Code Prefix

F (2016)

Heliports

1 (2013)

Merchant Marine

by type

container ship 24, general cargo 72, oil tanker 28, other 431 (2017)

note

includes Monaco

total

555 (2017)

National Air Transport System

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

4,098,310,000 mt-km (2015)

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

65,039,503 (2015)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

485 (2015)

number of registered air carriers

30 (2015)

Pipelines

15322 km gas, 2939 km oil, 5084 km refined products (2013)

Ports And Terminals

container port(s) (TEUs)

Le Havre (2,510,000) (2016)

cruise/ferry port(s)

Calais, Cherbourg, Le Havre

LNG terminal(s) (import)

Fos Cavaou, Fos Tonkin, Montoir de Bretagne

major seaport(s)

Brest, Calais, Dunkerque, Le Havre, Marseille, Nantes,

note

Strasbourg (Rhine) Bordeaux (Garronne)

river port(s)

Paris, Rouen (Seine)

Railways

narrow gauge

167 km 1.000-m gauge (63 km electrified) (2014)

standard gauge

29,473 km 1.435-m gauge (15,561 km electrified) (2014)

total

29,640 km (2014)

Roadways

note

not included are 5,100 km of roadways in overseas departments

paved

1,028,446 km (includes 11,416 km of expressways) (2010)

total

1,028,446 km (metropolitan France) (2010)

Waterways

note

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

Military Branches

Army (Armee de Terre; includes Marines, Foreign Legion, Army Light Aviation), Navy (Marine Nationale), Air Force (Armee de l'Air (AdlA); includes Air Defense) (2011)

Military Expenditures

1.79% of GDP (2017)

1.79% of GDP (2016)

1.79% of GDP (2015)

1.82% of GDP (2014)

Military Service Age And Obligation

18-25 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; no conscription; 1-year service obligation; women serve in noncombat posts (2013)

Disputes International

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

Illicit Drugs

metropolitan France: transshipment point for South American cocaine, Southwest Asian heroin, and European synthetics; French Guiana: small amount of marijuana grown for local consumption; minor transshipment point to Europe; Martinique: transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for the US and Europe

Refugees And Internally Displaced Persons

refugees (country of origin)

24,110 (Sri Lanka), 15,697 (Democratic Republic of the Congo), 15,634 (Russia), 13,425 (Afghanistan), 13,376 (Serbia and Kosovo), 12,520 (Syria), 11,361 (Cambodia), 11,337 (Sudan), 10,727 (Turkey), 7,911 (Vietnam), 7,788 (Guinea), 7,245 (Iraq), 6,271 (Laos), 5,320 (Mauritania) (2017)

stateless persons

1,425 (2017)

Terrorist Groups Foreign Based

Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA)

aim(s): establish an independent Basque homeland based on Marxist principles in what is now southwestern France and northern Spainarea(s) of operation: maintains a presence in the southwest (April 2018)