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Comparison · latest available · data as of 26 October 2026 · printed 27 Oct 2026
NationsTree / Compare / Canada vs France

Canada vs France

Side-by-side comparison of Canada and France from official statistics: size, economy, people, trade, natural resources, health, infrastructure and military, with world ranks, years and sources.

Canada

North America · nation age 159 years

NationsTree Index76.016th of 196
Tree height36 m 
vs
23:14
indicators where each ranks higher

France

Europe & Central Asia · nation age 1,183 years

NationsTree Index74.821st of 196
Tree height44 m 
Open in the comparison tool Data as of 26 October 2026

In short

Canada scores 76.0 in the NationsTree Index (16th in the world) and France scores 74.8 (21st), a gap of 1.2 points. Their trees are 36 m and 44 m tall; tree height grows with real GDP and is adjusted by the index.

France has 65% more people than Canada. Canada is 26 times larger than France by land area. The economy of France is 58% larger than that of Canada (GDP at purchasing power parity). Population: Canada 41.7 million and France 68.7 million (2025).

GDP per person at purchasing power parity is $66,746 in Canada and $63,975 in France (2025, international dollars). People in France live on average 0.9 years longer (83.0 vs 82.1 years).

Of 37 indicators reported by both countries, Canada ranks higher in the world on 23 and France on 14. Canada is clearly stronger in natural resources, tourism and institutions & safety. France is clearly stronger in military.

As a nation, France is the older of the two (statehood since 843, 1,183 years), compared with Canada (since 1867). Over the last five years Canada improved faster (direction score 46 vs 33 out of 100).

Where they differ most

The indicators with the biggest gap in world position between Canada and France.

Over time

How the two countries moved against each other, from the yearly data.

NationsTree IndexCanadaFrance
60708090 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025

Canada overtook France in the NationsTree Index in 2025, the latest year with data.

Canada overtook France in GDP per person (PPP) in 2021 and has stayed ahead since.

France overtook Canada in life expectancy in 2004 and has stayed ahead since.

France has been ahead of Canada in GDP (PPP) and population in every year since 1990.

Strength by category

Average world percentile of the indicators in each category (0–100, direction taken into account). i

All indicators

Latest available value for each country with its year and world rank. Green: the better world position of the two, red: the weaker one.

Indicator Canada France
Land & people
Surface area i km² 15,634,4102nd/216 · 2024 606,41045th/216 · 2024
Land area i km² 8,788,7004th/216 · 2024 538,95048th/216 · 2024
Population i people 41.7 m38th/217 · 2025 68.7 m23rd/217 · 2025
Population growth i % 0.94%104th/217 · 2025 0.25%158th/217 · 2025
Population density i people/km² 4.7207th/216 · 2024 127.288th/216 · 2024
Urban population i % 82.9%51st/217 · 2025 78.8%65th/217 · 2025
Population aged 0–14 i % 15.0%180th/217 · 2025 16.2%162nd/217 · 2025
Population aged 65+ i % 20.3%37th/217 · 2025 22.5%17th/217 · 2025
Economy
GDP i USD $2.32 trn10th/210 · 2025 $3.37 trn7th/210 · 2025
GDP (PPP) i intl. USD $2.78 trn16th/199 · 2025 $4.40 trn10th/199 · 2025
Real GDP (PPP, constant 2021 prices) i intl. USD 2021 $2.42 trn16th/199 · 2025 $3.79 trn9th/199 · 2025
GDP per person i USD $55,69830th/210 · 2025 $48,98634th/210 · 2025
GDP per person (PPP) i intl. USD $66,74630th/199 · 2025 $63,97534th/199 · 2025
GNI per person (Atlas) i USD $56,42022nd/201 · 2025 $48,63029th/201 · 2025
GDP growth i % 1.7%155th/210 · 2025 0.8%179th/210 · 2025
Inflation i % 2.1%60th/180 · 2025 0.9%34th/180 · 2025
Unemployment i % 6.9%125th/187 · 2025 7.5%131st/187 · 2025
Central government debt i % of GDP 64.1%33rd/55 · 2024 —
General government gross debt i % of GDP 113.6%176th/189 · 2025 115.5%178th/189 · 2025
Government budget balance i % of GDP -1.7%68th/192 · 2025 -5.1%150th/192 · 2025
Main industries
Agriculture, forestry, fishing i % of GDP 1.9%148th/197 · 2022 1.4%161st/197 · 2025
Industry incl. construction i % of GDP 27.4%68th/200 · 2022 16.8%150th/200 · 2025
Manufacturing i % of GDP 9.3%109th/192 · 2022 9.5%104th/192 · 2025
Services i % of GDP 64.1%61st/200 · 2022 70.9%32nd/200 · 2025
Trade
Exports of goods & services i USD $726.88 bn15th/182 · 2025 $1.12 trn5th/182 · 2025
Imports of goods & services i USD $746.50 bn13th/182 · 2025 $1.14 trn5th/182 · 2025
Exports i % of GDP 31.3%110th/183 · 2025 33.4%99th/183 · 2025
Imports i % of GDP 32.2%125th/183 · 2025 33.8%117th/183 · 2025
Trade openness i % of GDP 63.5%121st/183 · 2025 67.2%116th/183 · 2025
Fuel exports i % of merchandise exports 26.7%32nd/170 · 2025 3.8%80th/170 · 2025
Manufactures exports i % of merchandise exports 40.3%74th/171 · 2025 78.5%23rd/171 · 2025
Food exports i % of merchandise exports 13.6%96th/171 · 2025 13.4%97th/171 · 2025
Ores & metals exports i % of merchandise exports 7.6%48th/171 · 2025 2.3%101st/171 · 2025
High-tech exports i % of manufactured exports 16.1%46th/168 · 2024 23.1%26th/168 · 2024
Current account balance i % of GDP -0.9%90th/191 · 2025 -0.4%79th/191 · 2025
Foreign direct investment, inflows i % of GDP 3.0%71st/196 · 2025 1.8%111th/196 · 2025
Natural resources
Natural resource rents i % of GDP 4.9%73rd/209 · 2021 0.0%168th/209 · 2021
Oil rents i % of GDP 2.83%33rd/197 · 2021 0.01%109th/197 · 2021
Natural gas rents i % of GDP 0.79%33rd/197 · 2021 0.00%96th/197 · 2021
Coal rents i % of GDP 0.07%32nd/195 · 2021 0.00%68th/195 · 2021
Mineral rents i % of GDP 1.18%43rd/209 · 2021 0.00%91st/209 · 2021
Forest rents i % of GDP 0.07%123rd/209 · 2021 0.03%139th/209 · 2021
Arable land i % of land area 4.3%141st/206 · 2024 31.3%26th/206 · 2024
Renewable freshwater per person i m³ 73,1706th/183 · 2022 2,93386th/183 · 2022
Tourism
International tourist arrivals i arrivals 32.4 m9th/194 · 2019 117.1 m1st/194 · 2020
Tourism receipts i USD $19.99 bn2011 $35.96 bn3rd/175 · 2020
Tourism receipts i % of exports 3.7%2011 4.8%87th/168 · 2020
Outbound trips i departures 37.8 m4th/107 · 2019 21.3 m11th/107 · 2020
Society & health
Life expectancy i years 82.134th/217 · 2024 83.024th/217 · 2024
Under-5 mortality i per 1,000 births 5.443rd/196 · 2024 4.335th/196 · 2024
Physicians i per 1,000 people 2.8264th/174 · 2023 3.2854th/174 · 2022
Hospital beds i per 1,000 people 2.570th/145 · 2022 5.718th/145 · 2022
DPT immunization i % of children 12–23 months 92%86th/193 · 2024 96%48th/193 · 2024
Completed lower secondary, 25+ i % of adults 96.4%22nd/153 · 2024 91.6%44th/153 · 2023
Secondary enrolment i % gross 104.3%44th/173 · 2023 103.8%47th/173 · 2024
Old-age dependency ratio i % of working-age population 31.3%36th/217 · 2025 36.8%12th/217 · 2025
Health spending i % of GDP 11.3%14th/193 · 2024 11.5%13th/193 · 2024
Tertiary enrolment i % gross 76.3%39th/150 · 2023 71.5%46th/150 · 2024
Human Development Index i index 0–1 0.93916th/193 · 2023 0.92026th/193 · 2023
Income inequality (Gini) i index 31.533rd/108 · 2022 31.834th/108 · 2023
Extreme poverty i % of population 0.3%23rd/108 · 2022 0.1%10th/108 · 2023
Infrastructure & digital
Access to electricity i % of population 100.0%1st/215 · 2024 100.0%1st/215 · 2024
Safely managed drinking water i % of population 96.9%41st/150 · 2024 99.7%20th/150 · 2024
Safely managed sanitation i % of population 81.3%47th/144 · 2024 90.0%38th/144 · 2024
Internet users i % of population 94.4%32nd/186 · 2024 88.7%66th/186 · 2024
Mobile subscriptions i per 100 people 94151st/210 · 2024 117100th/210 · 2023
Fixed broadband i per 100 people 42.521st/208 · 2024 48.97th/208 · 2024
Trade & transport infrastructure quality (LPI) i score 1–5 4.303rd/164 · 2022 3.8019th/164 · 2022
Rail lines i route-km 48,1505th/82 · 2021 27,7167th/82 · 2021
Air passengers carried i passengers 88.6 m13th/161 · 2023 64.6 m18th/161 · 2023
Environment & energy
CO₂ emissions per person i t CO₂e 14.01191st/203 · 2024 4.00134th/203 · 2024
Renewable energy i % of final energy use 23.8%96th/212 · 2021 16.2%118th/212 · 2021
Air pollution (PM2.5) i µg/m³ 6.622nd/200 · 2023 8.232nd/200 · 2023
Forest area i % of land area 42.0%74th/214 · 2024 32.9%106th/214 · 2024
Energy use per person i kg oil eq. 7,1198th/149 · 2024 3,18331st/149 · 2024
Institutions & safety
Government effectiveness i score 0–100 88.310th/205 · 2025 77.130th/205 · 2025
Control of corruption i score 0–100 80.216th/207 · 2025 73.125th/207 · 2025
Rule of law i score 0–100 83.019th/207 · 2025 74.637th/207 · 2025
Political stability i score 0–100 79.855th/207 · 2025 64.0122nd/207 · 2025
Regulatory quality i score 0–100 80.315th/205 · 2025 72.535th/205 · 2025
Voice & accountability i score 0–100 85.211th/205 · 2025 79.026th/205 · 2025
Homicide rate i per 100,000 2.066th/145 · 2023 1.354th/145 · 2023
Military
Military expenditure i USD $37.49 bn16th/156 · 2025 $68.01 bn9th/156 · 2025
Military expenditure i % of GDP 1.6%82nd/156 · 2025 2.0%62nd/156 · 2025
Military expenditure i % of government spending 3.7%118th/154 · 2025 3.5%121st/154 · 2025
Armed forces personnel i people 72,00058th/170 · 2020 304,00023rd/170 · 2020
Armed forces personnel i % of labour force 0.35%139th/168 · 2020 1.00%68th/168 · 2020
Arms imports (SIPRI TIV) i TIV 83.0 m53rd/163 · 2025 236.0 m35th/163 · 2025
Arms exports (SIPRI TIV) i TIV 312.0 m14th/65 · 2025 3.4 bn2nd/65 · 2025
Science & innovation
R&D spending i % of GDP 1.79%24th/110 · 2024 2.18%17th/110 · 2023
Patent applications by residents i applications 4,30415th/137 · 2024 12,7518th/137 · 2024
Scientific articles i articles 63,72010th/197 · 2023 62,18011th/197 · 2023

Questions and answers

Which has more people, Canada or France?

France has the larger population: 68.7 m (2025) compared with 41.7 m for Canada (2025). Source: World Bank, SP.POP.TOTL.

Which is bigger by area, Canada or France?

Canada is larger: 15,634,410 km² (2024) compared with 606,410 km² for France (2024). Source: World Bank, AG.SRF.TOTL.K2.

Which economy is larger, Canada or France?

France has the larger economy at purchasing power parity: $4.40 trn intl. (2025) compared with $2.78 trn intl. for Canada (2025). Source: World Bank, NY.GDP.MKTP.PP.CD.

Which is richer per person, Canada or France?

Canada has the higher GDP per person (PPP): $66,746 intl. (2025) compared with $63,975 intl. for France (2025). Source: World Bank, NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD.

Where do people live longer, in Canada or France?

France has the higher life expectancy at birth: 83.0 years (2024) compared with 82.1 years for Canada (2024). Source: World Bank, SP.DYN.LE00.IN.

Which spends more on the military, Canada or France?

France spends more on the military: $68.01 bn (2025) compared with $37.49 bn for Canada (2025). Source: World Bank, MS.MIL.XPND.CD.

Which ranks higher in the NationsTree Index, Canada or France?

Canada: 76.0 points (16th in the world); France: 74.8 points (21st). The index combines foundations, economic strength, quality of life, problems and 5-year direction from public statistics.

More comparisons

Sources

World Bank World Development Indicators and Worldwide Governance Indicators, compiling UN agencies, the IMF, WHO, SIPRI and national statistical offices; every row links to its world ranking with the source series. See Sources & licences and Methodology.

Cite as: NationsTree (2026). Canada vs France — country comparison. https://nationstree.org/compare/canada-vs-france. Data as of 26 October 2026.

Cite as: NationsTree (2026). Canada vs France — country comparison. https://nationstree.org/compare/canada-vs-france. Data as of 26 October 2026.
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