Ranking Countries

FRA · Europe · refreshed Aug 10, 2026

If France were a US state

It would sit in the top half on 18 of 29 measures — and come first on 8 of them.

Map showing where France is in the world
9th
median, of 52
46th
median, world
8
first places
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Countries that rank like France

Head to head: France vs the United States, measure by measure · or against Estonia.

From the blog: How representative are country rankings?

All 68 measures →Every country ranked →Every US state →All the Top 10s →The overall board →How we read the data →

Common questions

Questions people ask about France

If France were a US state, how would it rank?

Across 29 measures of health, safety, money, education and the environment, France's median rank would be 9th on a list of the 50 states plus Washington, DC. It lands in the top half of that list on 18 of the 29 measures.

Is France richer than the average US state?

France's GDP per capita is $63,975, price-adjusted so states and countries sit on one scale. That would rank 51st of 52 among the states — poorer than most US states. Source: World Bank (PPP), 2025. See the full ranking

What is life expectancy in France vs the US?

People in France live 83 years on average — 4.1 years longer than the US figure of 78.9 years. Among the states, France would rank 1st of 52. Source: World Bank / UN Population Division, 2024. See the full ranking

How safe is France compared to US states?

France's homicide rate is 1.3 per 100k — lower than in most US states. Ranked with the states on the lowest rate, it would come 2nd of 52. Source: UNODC / WHO, 2023. See the full ranking

Where does France rank in the world?

On the 30 measures with wide global coverage, France's median rank is 46th out of roughly 190 countries (coverage varies by measure). Rank 1st means best in the world.

What is France best at?

Compared with US states, France's strongest measure is life expectancy: at 83 years, it would rank 1st of 52. It does equally well on lowest gun deaths. Source: World Bank / UN Population Division, 2024. See the full ranking

What is France weakest at?

France's weakest showing is lowest 2-bedroom rent: 2,825 $/month would rank 52nd of 52 — last place on the list. Source: Eurostat (capital-city rents), 2025. See the full ranking

How happy are people in France?

France scores 6.59 / 10 for self-reported life satisfaction, ranking 35th of 162 countries worldwide. Source: World Happiness Report, 2025. See the full ranking

How big is France compared to a US state?

France has about 68.7 million people — more people than any US state. Dropped into the list of 50 states plus DC, it would rank 1st of 52 by population. Source: World Bank, 2025. See the full ranking