Country explorer: France

France has demonstrated steady economic growth with moderate inflation and a fluctuating unemployment rate, reflecting broader European trends, yet distinctively maintaining higher unemployment levels compared to its main neighbor, Germany.

France has experienced steady population growth with a stable net migration, maintained above-average fertility rates compared to its European neighbors, and seen continuous improvement in life expectancy, showcasing a demographically resilient and attractive society amidst broader Western trends of aging populations.

France has shown consistent high performance in ensuring basic needs such as universal access to clean cooking fuels, electricity, and high levels of safely managed drinking water and sanitation, aligning with trends observed in other high-income countries.

France has demonstrated considerable progress in human development, marked by improvements in the Human Development Index, reductions in child mortality, high literacy rates, and enhanced learning-adjusted years of schooling, reflecting its standing among the top-performing nations globally in terms of health, education, and living standards.

France has demonstrated a significant shift towards renewable energy sources and efficiency, marked by a steady decline in per capita CO₂ emissions, enhanced renewable energy production, stable renewable freshwater resources per capita, and continuous expansion of forest areas, aligning with global trends towards sustainability and environmental resilience.

France has experienced significant technological and innovative growth, characterized by a steady rise in internet usage, mobile phone subscriptions, research and development spending, and scientific publications, reflecting a trajectory similar to its European peers and high-income countries, indicative of its commitment to fostering a knowledge-based economy.

France has experienced significant societal transformations, marked by increasing diversity with a higher share of the population born abroad, a steady improvement in gender equality, enhanced self-reported life satisfaction, and a growing age dependency ratio, reflecting common trends observed in high-income countries.

France has experienced subtle fluctuations in governance indicators such as the Rule of Law Index and Corruption Perception Index, suggesting a generally stable but slightly variable adherence to legal standards and anti-corruption efforts, mirrored by a declining trend in political civil liberties and press freedom, which reflects broader challenges facing many high-income countries in maintaining freedoms in a changing global context.