Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Virgin Islands instead of France, you would:

Health

live 2.2 years less

In France, the average life expectancy is 83 years (80 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2024. In Virgin Islands, that number is 81 years (78 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2024.

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Economy

be 51.7% more likely to be unemployed

In France, 7.5% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Virgin Islands, that number is 11.4% as of 2025.

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Life

have 14.4% more children

In France, there are approximately 9.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Virgin Islands, there are 11.1 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 2.2 times more likely to die during infancy

In France, approximately 3.4 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Virgin Islands, on the other hand, 7.7 children do as of 2022.

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Basic Needs

be 26.9% less likely to have internet access

In France, approximately 88.7% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Virgin Islands, about 64.8% do as of 2022.

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Geography

see 96.1% less coastline

France has a total of 4,853 km of coastline. In Virgin Islands, that number is 188 km.

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Infrastructure

find 79.4% less home broadband

France has 48.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Virgin Islands has 10.1 as of 2022.

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Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), The World Factbook (2022). How we calculate this

Compare further: France vs. Virgin Islands

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
Virgin Islands is 59.8% more expensive than France overall
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Size Comparison · See true size
France is about 289 times bigger than Virgin Islands.
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Moving from France to Virgin Islands · Cost, visas & climate
Compare cost of living, salary and climate.
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Virgin Islands: At a glance

Virgin Islands (sometimes abbreviated USVI) is a sovereign country in Central America/Caribbean, with a total land area of approximately 346 sq km. The Danes secured control over the southern Virgin Islands of Saint Thomas, Saint John, and Saint Croix during the 17th and early 18th centuries. Sugarcane, produced by African slave labor, drove the islands' economy during the 18th and early 19th centuries. In 1917, the US purchased the Danish holdings, which had been in economic decline since the abolition of slavery in 1848.
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How big is Virgin Islands compared to France? See an in-depth size comparison.

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