Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in France instead of Greenland, you would:

Health

live 12.7 years longer

In Greenland, the average life expectancy is 70 years (68 years for men, 72 years for women) as of 2024. In France, that number is 83 years (80 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 60.1% less likely to be obese

In Greenland, 28.1% of adults are obese as of 2024. In France, that number is 11.2% of people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Economy

make 16.3% less money

Greenland has a GDP per capita of $58,499 as of 2023, while in France, the GDP per capita is $48,986 as of 2025.

View global rankings →

Life

be 61.1% less likely to die during infancy

In Greenland, approximately 8.8 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In France, on the other hand, 3.4 children do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

have 19.2% fewer children

In Greenland, there are approximately 12.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In France, there are 9.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Basic Needs

be 27.6% more likely to have internet access

In Greenland, approximately 69.5% of the population has internet access as of 2021. In France, about 88.7% do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Expenditures

spend 47.8% less on education

Greenland spends 10.2% of its total GDP on education as of 2019. France spends 5.3% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

View global rankings →

Geography

see 89.0% less coastline

Greenland has a total of 44,087 km of coastline. In France, that number is 4,853 km.

View global rankings →

Infrastructure

find 53.0% more home broadband

Greenland has 32.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2022. France has 48.9 as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Environment

emit 61.7% less CO2

Greenland emits 10.4 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. France emits 4.0 tonnes as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Sources: World Bank (2022–2025), The World Factbook (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Compare further: Greenland vs. France

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
France is 26.7% cheaper than Greenland overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
Greenland is about 3.9 times bigger than France.
→
Moving from Greenland to France · UN DESA 2020
12 people born in Greenland live in France.
→

France: At a glance

France is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 549,970 sq km. France today is one of the most modern countries in the world and is a leader among European nations. It plays an influential global role as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, NATO, the G-8, the G-20, the EU and other multilateral organizations. France rejoined NATO's integrated military command structure in 2009, reversing DE GAULLE's 1966 decision to take French forces out of NATO. Since 1958, it has constructed a hybrid presidential-parliamentary governing system resistant to the instabilities experienced in earlier, more purely parliamentary administrations. In recent decades, its reconciliation and cooperation with Germany have proved central to the economic integration of Europe, including the introduction of a common currency, the euro, in January 1999. In the early 21st century, five French overseas entities - French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, and Reunion - became French regions and were made part of France proper.
Read more

How big is France compared to Greenland? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

Ask the Elsewhere Community

Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about France or Greenland. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss what life is like in countries and cities around the world.