This Survey is published on the responsibility of the Economic and Development Review Committee of the OECD, which is charged with the examination of the economic situation of member countries.

The economic situation and policies of France were reviewed by the Committee on 13 July 2017. The draft report was then revised in the light of the discussions and given final approval as the agreed report of the whole Committee on 1 August 2017.

The Secretariat’s draft report was prepared for the Committee by Ms. Nicola Brandt, Mr. Antoine Goujard and Mr. Pierre Guérin under the supervision of Mr. Peter Jarrett. Research assistance was provided by Mr. Patrizio Sicari. Editorial assistance was provided by Ms. Claude-Annie Manga-Collard. The previous Survey of France was issued in March 2015.

  
BASIC STATISTICS OF FRANCE, 2016
(Numbers in parentheses refer to the OECD average)1

LAND, PEOPLE AND ELECTORAL CYCLE

Population (million)

65.0

Population density per km2

105.4

(37.2)

 Under 15 (%)

18.1

(17.9)

Life expectancy (years, 2015)

82.4

(80.5)

 Over 65 (%)

19.2

(16.6)

 Men

79.2

(77.9)

 Foreign-born (%, 2015)

12.3

 Women

85.5

(83.1)

Latest 5-year average growth (%)

0.5

(0.6)

Latest general election

June 2017

ECONOMY

Gross domestic product (GDP)

Value added shares (%)

 In current prices (billion USD)

2 465.5

 Primary sector

1.6

(2.5)

 In current prices (billion EUR)

2 222.9

 Industry including construction

19.6

(26.7)

 Latest 5-year average real growth (%)

0.8

(1.8)

 Services

78.8

(70.8)

 Per capita (000 USD PPP)

42.0

(42.1)

GENERAL GOVERNMENTa

Per cent of GDP

Expenditure

56.5

(40.8)

Gross financial debt

123.3

(112.5)

Revenue

53.0

(37.9)

Net financial debt

79.0

(73.6)

EXTERNAL ACCOUNTS

Exchange rate (EUR per USD)

0.904

Main exports (% of total merchandise exports)

PPP exchange rate (USA = 1)

0.796

 Machinery and transport equipment

40.7

In per cent of GDP

 Chemicals and related products, n.e.s.

17.4

 Exports of goods and services

29.5

(53.9)

 Miscellaneous manufactured articles

12.4

 Imports of goods and services

31.2

(49.3)

Main imports (% of total merchandise imports)

 Current account balance

-0.9

(0.3)

 Machinery and transport equipment

38.2

 Net international investment position (2014)

-17.8

 Miscellaneous manufactured articles

16.0

 Chemicals and related products, n.e.s.

13.7

LABOUR MARKET, SKILLS AND INNOVATION

Employment rate for 15-64 year-olds (%)

64.2

(67.0)

Unemployment rate, Labour Force Survey (age 15 and over) (%)

10.0

(6.3)

 Men

67.6

(74.7)

 Youth (age 15-24, %)

24.6

(13.0)

 Women

61.0

(59.3)

 Long-term unemployed (1 year and over, %)

4.5

(2.2)

Participation rate for 15-64 year-olds (%)

71.5

(71.3)

Tertiary educational attainment 25-64 year-olds (%, 2014)

33.5

(34.3)

Average hours worked per year

1 482

(1 766)

Gross domestic expenditure on R&D (% of GDP)

2.2

(2.4)

ENVIRONMENT

Total primary energy supply per capita (toe, 2015)

3.8

(4.1)

CO2 emissions from fuel combustion per capita (tonnes, 2014)

4.4

(9.4)

 Renewables (%)

8.8

(9.6)

Water abstractions per capita (1 000 m3, 2012)

0.5

Exposure to air pollution (more than 10 μg/m3 of PM2.5, % of population, 2015)

80.7

(75.2)

Municipal waste per capita (tonnes, 2015)

0.5

(0.5)

SOCIETY

Income inequality (Gini coefficient, 2014)

0.297

(0.311)

Education outcomes (PISA score, 2015)

Relative poverty rate (%, 2014)

8.2

(11.3)

 Reading

499

(493)

Median disposable household income (000 USD PPP, 2014)

25.3

(22.9)

 Mathematics

493

(490)

Public and private spending (% of GDP)

 Science

495

(493)

 Health care (2015)

11.0

(9.0)

Share of women in parliament (%)

26.2

(28.7)

 Pensions (2013)

14.4

(9.1)

Net official development assistance (% of GNI)

0.38

(0.39)

 Education (primary, secondary, post sec. non tertiary, 2013)

3.8

(3.7)

Better life index: www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org

← a. 2015 for the OECD average.

← 1. Where the OECD aggregate is not provided in the source database, a simple OECD average of latest available data is calculated where data exist for at least 29 member countries.

Source: Calculations based on data extracted from the databases of the following organisations: OECD, International Energy Agency, World Bank, International Monetary Fund and Inter-Parliamentary Union.