Country Overview
France, officially the French Republic, is a European and overseas constitutional republic. Metropolitan France lies in Western Europe, while overseas regions and other territories extend French jurisdiction across the Caribbean, South America, Indian Ocean and Pacific. Its current Fifth Republic constitutional system dates from 1958. France is a founding member of European integration, a member of the euro area, and a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. [6]
Identity and State Formation
- Official and common names
- French Republic (République française); France
- Capital
- Paris
- UN M49 classification
- Europe / Western Europe (UN statistical classification) [3]
- Historic monarchy and revolution
- The medieval French monarchy preceded the French Revolution of 1789; the First French Republic was proclaimed in September 1792
- Modern state transitions
- Successive republics and empires; Fourth Republic established in 1946, Fifth Republic in 1958
- Current constitution
- Constitution of 4 October 1958; subsequently amended
- National day
- 14 July (Fête nationale), commemorating revolutionary and national-unity traditions
- ISO 3166-1 identifiers
- FR (alpha-2), FRA (alpha-3), 250 (numeric)
- Country-code top-level domain
- .fr
Historical context: France developed from medieval kingdoms into a centralized early modern monarchy and a major European power. The Revolution beginning in 1789 transformed its political institutions; nineteenth-century republics, monarchies and empires followed. The Fifth Republic was established in 1958 amid the Algerian crisis. These dates should not be reduced to a single modern “independence” date, because French statehood has a long and discontinuous constitutional history. [10]
Geography and Population
- Total geographical area
- 638,475 km² (European Union/Eurostat, 2026 reference; includes France beyond metropolitan Europe) [6]
- Land area
- 538,950 km² (World Bank/FAO, 2024; definition and coverage differ from Eurostat surface figure) [2]
- Population
- 68,720,337 (World Bank, 2025 harmonized series) [1]
- Annual population growth
- 0.2% (World Bank, 2025) [1]
- European borders
- Metropolitan France borders Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, Spain and Andorra; overseas French Guiana borders Brazil and Suriname
- Coasts and relief
- Atlantic, English Channel and Mediterranean coasts; Alps, Pyrenees, Massif Central, Jura and Vosges; Seine, Loire, Rhône and Garonne
- Overseas geographic reach
- Overseas regions and collectivities in several oceans; not all territories have identical constitutional or European Union status
- Major urban centers
- Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse, Nice, Nantes, Strasbourg, and Bordeaux
Data interpretation: France’s 2026 Eurostat total geographical size, 2024 FAO land area and 2025 World Bank population follow different coverage and definitions. Metropolitan-only areas and populations must not be substituted for the national figures without labeling. [1]
Economy and International Trade
- Economic profile
- Large diversified advanced economy with manufacturing, transport, tourism, government and professional services, agriculture and energy
- Nominal GDP
- Approximately US$3,366.32 billion (2025, World Bank current prices) [1]
- Nominal GDP per capita
- Approximately US$48,986 (2025, World Bank current US dollars) [1]
- Real GDP growth
- 0.8% (2025, World Bank) [1]
- Currency
- Euro (EUR), noncash euro adopted 1999 and notes/coins circulated from 2002 [6]
- Merchandise exports
- Approximately €604.2 billion (2025 Eurostat/European comparative goods trade, Destatis compilation)
- Important goods export markets
- Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium, United States and United Kingdom are major destinations (2025; partner definition matters)
- Economic concentrations
- Paris region leads business services and research; Toulouse has aerospace, other industrial regions support automotive and chemicals; wine and food regions contribute specialty exports
Principal Merchandise Export Categories (2025)
| Category | Illustrative exported products |
|---|---|
| Aircraft and aerospace | Commercial aircraft, engines, related aerospace components |
| Medicines and chemicals | Pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals, and specialized chemical products |
| Automobiles and industrial machinery | Motor vehicles, parts, engines and mechanical equipment |
| Luxury and consumer goods | Perfumes, cosmetics, clothing, leather goods and personal-care products |
| Food and beverages | Wine, spirits, agricultural products, processed food and dairy |
GDP is not wages: Nominal GDP is aggregate economic output; GDP per capita divides that output by population. Neither measure represents average or median personal earnings. [1]
People and Society
- Official language
- French; the Constitution describes French as the language of the Republic
- Regional and community languages
- Breton, Occitan, Corsican, Basque, Alsatian, regional creoles, Arabic, Berber and many immigrant languages are used alongside French
- Religious affiliation, metropolitan survey 2019–2020
- Among ages 18–59 in metropolitan France, 51% reported no religion, 29% Catholic affiliation and 10% Muslim affiliation; other affiliations included other Christian traditions [9]
- Religious data limitations
- France does not collect religious affiliation in its routine population census; the 18–59 metropolitan survey cannot represent every age group or overseas population
- Public institutions and religious freedom
- Constitutional secularism (laïcité) and freedom of conscience frame the relationship between religion and the state
- Demographic context
- Population spans metropolitan and overseas communities; large cities are multilingual and marked by migration and regional diversity
Demographic interpretation: The TeO2 religious affiliation percentages are from 2019–2020 respondents aged 18–59 in metropolitan France, not a 2025 population census or an all-ages national breakdown. [9]
Government and Institutions
- System
- Unitary semi-presidential republic under the 1958 Constitution
- Head of state
- President of the Republic, directly elected for a five-year term
- Head of government
- Prime Minister appointed by the President; cabinet answerable to the National Assembly under constitutional rules
- Legislature
- Bicameral Parliament: National Assembly (577 deputies) and Senate (348 senators)
- Territorial organization
- 18 administrative regions (13 metropolitan and 5 overseas); 101 departments, plus overseas collectivities and special-status areas
- Constitutional institutions
- Constitutional Council, Council of State, Court of Cassation, and specialized administrative and judicial courts
- Political principle
- Indivisible, secular, democratic and social republic under Article 1 of the Constitution
International Profile
- United Nations
- Founding member (1945); permanent member of the Security Council [5]
- European Union
- Founding member of the European Economic Community (1958) [6]
- Euro area
- Member since 1 January 1999 [6]
- Schengen area
- Member since 26 March 1995 [6]
- NATO
- Founding member in 1949
- Other organizations
- G7, G20, OECD, WTO, Council of Europe and Organisation internationale de la Francophonie
- UNESCO World Heritage
- 56 inscribed properties as of 2026, including Paris Banks of the Seine, Mont-Saint-Michel, Versailles, the 2025 Carnac megaliths and 2026 Normandy D-Day beaches [4]
- International dialing code
- +33 (metropolitan France; some overseas territories use separate codes)
- Time zone
- Metropolitan France CET UTC+1, CEST UTC+2; overseas territories use other zones
Sources and Verification
Editorial cutoff: November 6, 2026. Most headline population and economic indicators are World Bank 2025 data. Separate national releases and census figures have different statistical coverage and dates; figures may be updated retrospectively.
- World Bank, country development indicators (2025) — 2025 population, nominal GDP, GDP per capita, growth and population changes.
- World Bank/FAO, Land area — 2024 land area excluding inland water.
- United Nations Statistics Division, M49 classification — Statistical Europe subregion.
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre, State Party properties — Inscribed properties and 2026 changes.
- United Nations, Member States — United Nations status.
- European Union, France country profile — 2026 population, geographic size, political system and EU memberships.
- German Federal Statistical Office, 2025 EU goods trade comparison — 2025 merchandise exports in euros, Eurostat harmonization.
- INSEE, globalisation and merchandise partner data 2025 — French main trading partners and sectors with net trade surpluses.
- INSEE, Religious diversity in France, TeO2 2019–2020 — Religious affiliation figures and scope restricted to metropolitan ages 18–59.
- French Constitutional Council, 1958 Constitution — Constitutional system, institutions and republic principles.
- INSEE, national population and territories — National versus metropolitan statistical definitions.
Methodology: Population is the World Bank 2025 country series; GDP and GDP per capita are in current U.S. dollars and real GDP growth is a volume change, not an exchange-rate change. Land area excludes inland waters under the FAO definition, whereas the country-specific total area can be a distinct national or regional surface measure. Export tables are illustrative merchandise categories, not services data or a harmonized ranking. Religious figures identify their census or survey reference year and denominator.