Updated
Overview
France has about 65% more people than Canada: 68.72 million against 41.65 million (2025).
France's economy is about 45% larger than Canada's, at $3.37T versus $2.32T.
Population
GDP (nominal)
GDP per capita
The full table
| Indicator | France | Canada | Years | Factbook, Jan 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | ||||
| GDP (nominal) | Higher: $3.37T | $2.32T | 2025 | $3.16T / $2.24T |
| GDP per capita | $48,986 | Higher: $55,698 | 2025 | — / — |
| GDP growth | 0.8% | Higher: 1.7% | 2025 | — / — |
| Inflation | Lower: 0.9% | 2.1% | 2025 | 2.0% / 2.4% |
| Unemployment | 7.5% | Lower: 6.9% | 2025 | — / — |
| Price level (US=100) | 77 | 83 | 2025 | — / — |
| Avg monthly earnings | Higher: $5,024 | $4,121 | 2025 | — / — |
| Minimum wage | $2,036 | Higher: $2,106 | 2025 / 2024 | — / — |
| Big Mac price | — | $5.81 | — | — / — |
| People | ||||
| Population | 68.72 million | 41.65 million | 2025 | 68.51 million / 39.19 million |
| Population growth | 0.2% | 0.9% | 2025 | — / — |
| Median age | 42.3 yrs | 40.6 yrs | 2025 | — / — |
| Fertility rate | 1.64 | 1.33 | 2025 | — / — |
| Life expectancy | Higher: 83.0 yrs | 82.1 yrs | 2024 | — / — |
| Urban population | 79% | 83% | 2025 | — / — |
| Internet users | 89% | Higher: 94% | 2024 | — / — |
| Geography | ||||
| Area | 643,801 km² | 9,984,670 km² | — | — / — |
| Population density | 106.7/km² | 4.2/km² | 2025 | — / — |
| Environment | ||||
| CO2 emissions | Lower: 264 Mt | 533 Mt | 2024 | — / — |
| CO2 per capita | Lower: 4.0 t | 13.4 t | 2024 | — / — |
| Military | ||||
| Military spending | $64.68B | $29.35B | 2024 | — / — |
| Military spending (% GDP) | 2.1% | 1.3% | 2024 | — / — |
| Armed forces personnel | 304,000 | 72,000 | 2020 | — / — |
Sources by row: World Bank WDI, IMF WEO, UN WPP 2024, ILOSTAT, The Economist. Emphasis marks the stronger figure where one direction is meaningfully better.
Reading the numbers
Economy
Canada is growing faster: 1.7% annual GDP growth versus 0.8%.
Inflation is comparable in both: 0.9% in France and 2.1% in Canada.
Average monthly earnings favour France: $5,024 against $4,121 (ILOSTAT, latest available years).
People and society
Demographically the two are similar, with median ages of 42.3 (France) and 40.6 (Canada).
Geography
By land area, France is only about 1/16 the size of Canada: 643,801 km² versus 9,984,670 km².
France is far more densely settled: 107 people per km² against 4.
Military
France spends 2.2 times as much on defence as Canada: $64.68B versus $29.35B (World Bank/SIPRI data).
France fields the larger armed forces: 304,000 personnel against 72,000 (note: personnel data lags; observation years shown in the table).
Frequently asked
- Is France bigger than Canada?
- Canada is larger by land area. France covers 643,801 km² while Canada covers 9,984,670 km², so Canada is 16 times the size of the other.
- Which has more people, France or Canada?
- France has the larger population: 68.72 million versus 41.65 million (World Bank, 2025).
- Is France richer than Canada?
- Measured by GDP per capita, Canada is richer: $55,698 against $48,986. Total GDP tells a different story: $3.37T for France versus $2.32T for Canada.
- Who spends more on their military, France or Canada?
- France spends more: $64.68B versus $29.35B per year (World Bank, SIPRI-derived data; observation years vary).