Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in France instead of United Kingdom, you would:

Health

live 1.6 years longer

In United Kingdom, the average life expectancy is 81 years (80 years for men, 83 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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be 59.1% less likely to be obese

In United Kingdom, 27.4% of adults are obese as of 2024. In France, that number is 11.2% of people as of 2024.

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be 73.6% more likely to die by suicide

United Kingdom has a suicide rate of 9.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In France, it is 16.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 58.7% more likely to be unemployed

In United Kingdom, 4.8% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In France, that number is 7.5% as of 2025.

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make 15.0% less money

United Kingdom has a GDP per capita of $57,602 as of 2025, while in France, the GDP per capita is $48,986 as of 2025.

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Life

be 17.1% less likely to die during infancy

In United Kingdom, approximately 4.1 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.

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Geography

see 61.0% less coastline

United Kingdom has a total of 12,429 km of coastline. In France, that number is 4,853 km.

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Safety

be 19.6% more likely to be murdered

United Kingdom has a homicide rate of 1.1 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In France, that number is 1.3 per 100,000 as of 2023.

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be 95.8% more likely to die in a road accident

In United Kingdom, road accidents kill 2.4 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In France, they kill 4.7 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

find 16.1% more home broadband

United Kingdom has 42.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. France has 48.9 as of 2024.

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use 53.7% more electricity

United Kingdom uses 4,195 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. France uses 6,447 kWh as of 2024.

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live with 49.0% more strain on fresh water

United Kingdom withdraws 14% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. France withdraws 21% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 23.1% less likely to die from air pollution

In United Kingdom, air pollution causes 13.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In France, it causes 10.0 as of 2019.

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Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this

Compare further: United Kingdom vs. France

Cost of Living Comparison · 7 categories - 2026 data
France is 16.8% cheaper than United Kingdom overall
→
Size Comparison · See true size
United Kingdom is about 2.3 times smaller than France.
→
Moving from United Kingdom to France · OECD 2023
3,645 people moved from United Kingdom to France.
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City Size Comparison · See true size
Compare the size of London vs Paris
→

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

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