If you lived in France instead of United Arab Emirates, you would:

Health

be 64.6% less likely to be obese

In United Arab Emirates, 31.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In France, that number is 11.2% of people as of 2024.

View global rankings →

see 84.3% more spent on your healthcare

United Arab Emirates spends $3,727 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). France spends $6,868 as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 9.7 times more likely to die by suicide

United Arab Emirates has a suicide rate of 1.7 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In France, it is 16.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

Economy

be 3.5 times more likely to be unemployed

In United Arab Emirates, 2.2% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In France, that number is 7.5% as of 2025.

View global rankings →

Life

be 10.5% less likely to die during infancy

In United Arab Emirates, approximately 3.8 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In France, on the other hand, 3.4 children do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

be 2.3 times more likely to die during childbirth

In United Arab Emirates, approximately 3.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In France, 7.0 women do as of 2023.

View global rankings →

Basic Needs

be 11.3% less likely to have internet access

In United Arab Emirates, approximately 100.0% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In France, about 88.7% do as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Expenditures

spend 36.8% more on education

United Arab Emirates spends 3.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2021. France spends 5.3% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

View global rankings →

spend 2.3 times more on healthcare

United Arab Emirates spends 5.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In France, that number is 11.5% of GDP as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Geography

see 3.7 times more coastline

United Arab Emirates has a total of 1,318 km of coastline. In France, that number is 4,853 km.

View global rankings →

Safety

be 20.3% less likely to die in a road accident

In United Arab Emirates, road accidents kill 5.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In France, they kill 4.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

View global rankings →

be 94.2% more likely to be murdered

United Arab Emirates has a homicide rate of 0.7 per 100,000 people as of 2022. In France, that number is 1.3 per 100,000 as of 2023.

View global rankings →

Infrastructure

find 19.8% more home broadband

United Arab Emirates has 40.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. France has 48.9 as of 2024.

View global rankings →

live with 98.6% less strain on fresh water

United Arab Emirates withdraws 1510% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. France withdraws 21% as of 2022.

View global rankings →

use 57.8% less electricity

United Arab Emirates uses 15,285 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. France uses 6,447 kWh as of 2024.

View global rankings →

Environment

be 85.7% less likely to die from air pollution

In United Arab Emirates, air pollution causes 70.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In France, it causes 10.0 as of 2019.

View global rankings →

emit 78.1% less CO2

United Arab Emirates emits 18.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. France emits 4.0 tonnes as of 2024.

View global rankings →


Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. 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.
Read more

How big is France compared to United Arab Emirates? See an in-depth size comparison.

Share this

Ask the Elsewhere Community

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