France vs Belgium: how the neighbours compare
| Indicator | France | Belgium | Ranks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | |||
| Population | 68.7m2025 | 11.9m2025 | 23 · 81 |
| Area | 606,410 km²2024 | 30,689 km²2024 | 45 · 137 |
| Density | 127.22024 | 388.92024 | 88 · 29 |
| Urban share | 78.8%2025 | 87.7%2025 | 65 · 42 |
| Fertility | 1.612024 | 1.442024 | 135 · 166 |
| Aged 65+ | 22.5%2025 | 21.0%2025 | 17 · 28 |
| Economy | |||
| GDP | $3.4tn2025 | $725bn2025 | 7 · 22 |
| GDP per capita | $48,9862025 | $60,7502025 | 34 · 22 |
| GDP per capita, PPP | $63,9752025 | $74,6762025 | 34 · 24 |
| GDP growth | 0.8%2025 | 1.0%2025 | 179 · 176 |
| Agriculture share | 1.4%2025 | 0.7%2025 | 162 · 177 |
| Industry share | 16.8%2025 | 18.6%2025 | 150 · 134 |
| Services share | 70.9%2025 | 71.2%2025 | 33 · 32 |
| Prices & public finance | |||
| Inflation | 0.9%2025 | 2.5%2025 | 147 · 103 |
| Tax revenue | 22.8%2024 | 23.0%2024 | 29 · 28 |
| Military spending | 2.03%2025 | 2.01%2025 | 62 · 64 |
| Trade & investment | |||
| Exports | 33.4%2025 | 75.5%2025 | 100 · 22 |
| FDI inflows | 1.8%2025 | -4.0%2025 | 111 · 195 |
| Labour | |||
| Unemployment | 7.5%2025 | 5.9%2025 | 57 · 81 |
| Aid, poverty & equality | |||
| Women in parliament | 36.2%2025 | 41.3%2025 | 41 · 24 |
| Education | |||
| Tertiary enrolment | 71.5%2024 | 82.1%2023 | 48 · 24 |
| Education spending | 5.3%2022 | 6.3%2022 | 45 · 23 |
| Health | |||
| Life expectancy | 83.0 yrs2024 | 82.3 yrs2024 | 24 · 31 |
| Infant mortality | 3.42024 | 3.12024 | 163 · 169 |
| Health spending | 11.5%2024 | 10.8%2023 | 13 · 19 |
| Physicians | 3.282022 | 3.572022 | 54 · 43 |
| Digital & energy access | |||
| Internet users | 88.7%2024 | 95.8%2024 | 66 · 20 |
| Fixed broadband | 48.92024 | 44.22024 | 7 · 17 |
| Electricity access | 100.0%2024 | 100.0%2024 | 36 · 14 |
| Environment | |||
| CO₂ per person | 4.00 t2024 | 7.31 t2024 | 70 · 31 |
| Renewable energy | 16.2%2021 | 11.7%2021 | 118 · 136 |
| Forest cover | 32.9%2024 | 22.0%2024 | 106 · 128 |
Higher value in each row is highlighted; it is not always the better one (think inflation or emissions). Ranks are world positions.
GDP per capita
FranceBelgium
Life expectancy
FranceBelgium
Population
FranceBelgium
Internet users
FranceBelgium
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)
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