averageperson.euOne statistical standard, 27 countries

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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.

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France

the European Union

The widest gap is Public spending on them: France €24,346 against the European Union €19,707, 23.5% apart.

Ageall ages
Sex

One question per row

The faint tick on each bar is the EU27 figure.

Figure
France
the European Union

People

Median age2.1 years
42.8 years
44.9 years
Life expectancy at birth1.5 years
83.0 years
81.5 years
People6.54×
68.9m
450.6m
People per square kilometre1.1%
109 per km²
110 per km²
Women in the population0.4 points
51.5%
51.0%
Born abroad0.4 points
14.0%
14.4%
Born outside the EU0.7 points
11.1%
10.4%

Money and work

Disposable income per person15.3%
€26,459
€22,939
Average net income17.3%
€30,438
€25,952
Take-home pay, average-wage worker8.0%
€32,346
€29,954
Gross pay, average-wage worker1.7%
€44,400
€43,658
In work, age 20 to 640.7 points
75.4%
76.1%
Out of work1.7 points
7.7%
6.0%
Hours worked a week0.1 hours
37.2 hours
37.3 hours
At risk of poverty
16.3%
16.3%
Housing costs over 40% of income1.3 points
6.4%
7.7%
GDP per person4.0%
€43,350
€41,700

Family and home

People at home9.5%
2.1
2.3
Households with children0.5 points
29.2%
28.7%
Children per woman20.1%
1.61
1.34
Own their home7.1 points
61.4%
68.5%

Health and daily life

Hospital beds5.2%
534 per 100,000 people
507 per 100,000 people
Doctors5.6%
395 per 100,000 people
374 per 100,000 people

Education

With a degree7.9 points
44.8%
36.9%
Students per 1,000 people1.2%
41.9 per 1,000 people
42.4 per 1,000 people

Public spending

Public spending on them23.5%
€24,346
€19,707
Tax raised per person18.8%
€19,244
€16,198
Government debt33.9 points
115.6%
81.7%

Country and infrastructure

Land area6.62×
638,475 km²
4,225,104 km²
Railway density12.9%
43.5 per 1,000 km²
49.1 per 1,000 km²
Motorway density0.5%
18.5 per 1,000 km²
18.6 per 1,000 km²
Cars per 1,000 people1.0%
578 per 1,000 people
584 per 1,000 people
Households with internet0.4 points
94.4%
94.8%
Tourist nights per resident1.8%
6.85
6.73

Environment

Renewable energy2.3 points
23.9%
26.2%

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

Function
France
the European Union
10.8%
12.4%
3.2%
3.0%
3.1%
3.5%
9.9%
10.8%
1.8%
1.7%
2.5%
1.5%
15.6%
15.0%
2.6%
2.4%
8.9%
9.7%
41.5%
40.0%

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

  1. 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. demo_pjan · 2025. See the figure

  2. 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. reg_area3 · 2026. See the figure

  3. 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. gov_10dd_edpt1 · 2025. See the figure

  4. 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. gov_10a_exp · 2024. See the figure

  5. 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. une_rt_a · 2025. See the figure

  6. 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. gov_10a_exp · 2024. See the figure

  7. 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. edat_lfse_03 · 2025. See the figure

  8. 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. demo_find · 2024. See the figure

  9. 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. nrg_ind_ren · 2025. See the figure

  10. 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. hlth_rs_bds1 · 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.