If you lived in France instead of Hong Kong, you would:

Health

live 2.4 years less

In Hong Kong, the average life expectancy is 85 years (83 years for men, 88 years for women) as of 2024. In France, that number is 83 years (80 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2024.

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Economy

be 2.7 times more likely to be unemployed

In Hong Kong, 2.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In France, that number is 7.5% as of 2025.

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make 14.0% less money

Hong Kong has a GDP per capita of $56,983 as of 2025, while in France, the GDP per capita is $48,986 as of 2025.

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Life

have 98.0% more children

In Hong Kong, there are approximately 4.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In France, there are 9.7 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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be 33.3% more likely to die during infancy

In Hong Kong, approximately 2.5 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.

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Expenditures

spend 39.6% more on education

Hong Kong spends 3.8% of its total GDP on education as of 2024. France spends 5.3% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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Geography

see 6.6 times more coastline

Hong Kong has a total of 733 km of coastline. In France, that number is 4,853 km.

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Safety

be 3.5 times more likely to be murdered

Hong Kong has a homicide rate of 0.4 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In France, that number is 1.3 per 100,000 as of 2023.

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Infrastructure

find 21.5% more home broadband

Hong Kong has 40.3 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. France has 48.9 as of 2024.

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Environment

emit 13.0% less CO2

Hong Kong emits 4.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. France emits 4.0 tonnes as of 2024.

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

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.
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