Side by side
France and the European Union
The same question asked of every column. Numbers that break down by age or sex follow the controls; the rest stay country-wide and say so.
The widest gap is Public spending on them: France €24,346 against the European Union €19,707, 23.5% apart.
One question per row
People
Money and work
Family and home
Health and daily life
Education
Public spending
Country and infrastructure
Environment
Where €100 of public spending goes
Every euro each general government spends, sorted into the ten functions all 27 countries report against. Open a row for the ranking of 27 and what sits inside it.
France
the European Union
Reference year 2024. Total public spending €100.00 in every column, so the ten shares always add up to one hundred.
Frequently asked: France and the European Union
Where do more people live: France or the European Union?
The gap is 6.54×: the European Union 450.6m, France 68.9m. People usually resident in the country on 1 January. Eurostat · People & Women in the population · 2025. See the figure
Which covers more ground: France or the European Union?
The gap is 6.62×: the European Union 4,225,104, France 638,475. Total area of the country, inland water included. Eurostat · Land area & People per square kilometre · 2026. See the figure
Which government owes more: France or the European Union?
The gap is 33.9 points: France 115.6%, the European Union 81.7%. Consolidated gross debt of the general government, against GDP. Eurostat · Government debt · 2025. See the figure
Which spends more on health per resident: France or the European Union?
The gap is 28.5%: France €3,803, the European Union €2,959. Hospitals, doctors, medicines and medical equipment, and public health programmes. Eurostat · Public spending by function · 2024. See the figure
Where is unemployment higher: France or the European Union?
The gap is 1.7 points: France 7.7%, the European Union 6.0%. Share of 15 to 74 year olds in the labour force who are without work and looking for it. Eurostat · Out of work · 2025. See the figure
Which government spends more per resident: France or the European Union?
The gap is 23.5%: France €24,346, the European Union €19,707. Total general government expenditure divided by the population: all levels of government together. Eurostat · Public spending by function · 2024. See the figure
Where do more adults hold a degree: France or the European Union?
The gap is 7.9 points: France 44.8%, the European Union 36.9%. Share of adults whose highest completed education is a university or other tertiary degree. Eurostat · With a degree · 2025. See the figure
Where are more children born per woman: France or the European Union?
The gap is 20.1%: France 1.61, the European Union 1.34. Children a woman would bear over her life at today’s age-specific birth rates. Eurostat · Children per woman & Age at first child · 2024. See the figure
Where does more energy come from renewables: France or the European Union?
The gap is 2.3 points: the European Union 26.2%, France 23.9%. Share of final energy use that comes from renewable sources. Eurostat · Renewable energy · 2025. See the figure
Where are there more hospital beds per 100,000 people: France or the European Union?
The gap is 5.2%: France 534, the European Union 507. Beds available in hospitals, per 100,000 residents. Eurostat · Hospital beds · 2024. See the figure
Medians where possible, per-capita averages for spending. This person is a composite of published statistics, not the most common person in the country.