Land Area
France
551,695 km²
Largest
Italy
301,340 km²
54.6% of largest
France is 1.83× larger than Italy
Population
France
LARGEST
68.1M
PEOPLE
Italy
88.5% OF LARGEST
60.25M
PEOPLE
France has 1.13× the population of Italy
GDP
France
LARGEST
$2.94T
Italy
70.1% OF LARGEST
$2.06T
Armed Forces
Active Personnel
France
LARGEST
203.85K
TROOPS
Italy
83.4% OF LARGEST
170K
TROOPS
France has 1.20× the active personnel of Italy
Air Force
France
LARGEST
1.06K
AIRCRAFT
Italy
81.7% OF LARGEST
862
AIRCRAFT
France has 1.22× the aircraft of Italy
Naval Assets
France
Italy
Wealth
Gold Reserves
Italy
LARGEST
2,451.9
Metric Tonnes
France
99.4% OF LARGEST
2,437.0
Metric Tonnes
Foreign-Exchange Reserves
Italy
LARGEST
$85B
Reserves · excl. gold
France
91.8% OF LARGEST
$78B
Reserves · excl. gold
Billionaires
Italy
MOST
73
billionaires
France
59% OF MOST
43
billionaires
Oil
Proven Reserves
Italy
LARGEST
0.5
Billion barrels
France
20.0% OF LARGEST
0.1
Billion barrels
Production & Consumption
France
NET IMPORTER
Production
0.0M b/d
Consumption
1.6M b/d
−1.6M b/d net
Italy
NET IMPORTER
Production
0.1M b/d
Consumption
1.2M b/d
−1.1M b/d net
Trade (Import/Export)
France
$1,071.1B
Exports
$1,071.1B
Imports
$1,081.5B
Trade Balance
$-10.4B
Trade Deficit
Italy
$773.9B
Exports
$773.9B
Imports
$721.8B
Trade Balance
+$52.1B
Trade Surplus
Drinks per Person
Coffee
kg / person / yr
Italy
consumption
France
consumption
Tea
kg / person / yr
France
consumption
Italy
consumption
Beer
litres / person / yr
France
consumption
Italy
consumption
Wine
litres / person / yr
France
consumption
Italy
consumption
Alcohol
litres pure alcohol / person / yr
France
consumption
Italy
consumption
Smoking
% of adults 15+ who smoke
France
Italy
Per-capita — consumption where available, else FAOSTAT supply · alcohol = litres of pure alcohol; smoking = % of adults 15+ (WHO)
Olympic Medals
France
295
Gold
331
Silver
365
Bronze
991
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 830
❄ Winter: 161
Italy
283
Gold
255
Silver
300
Bronze
838
Total Medals
☀ Summer: 667
❄ Winter: 171
Religious Demographics
Religious Distribution
Religious Composition by Country
France
Italy
Age Demographics
Median Age
Italy
47.9
YEARS
10
30
50
70
France
41.7
YEARS
10
30
50
70
Age Distribution
Population breakdown by age bracket (percentage)
Demographic Insights
Age Gap
Italy is 6.2 years older (median) than France
Youth Population
France has the highest youth population at 35.0% (under 30)
Elderly Population
Italy has the highest elderly population at 31.5% (60+)
Global Statistics
| Metric |
France
|
Italy
|
|---|---|---|
| Travel & Mobility | ||
| Passport Power visa-free destinations |
188
|
189
|
| Tourist Arrivals per year |
79.4M
|
57.2M
|
| Culture & Prestige | ||
| Nobel Laureates all-time |
75
|
21
|
| 3-Michelin-Star Restaurants current guide |
31
|
13
|
Figures as of 2026. Sources: IMF, EIA/OPEC, Henley Passport Index, UNWTO, Forbes, Michelin Guide, Nobel Foundation.
Cost of Living
|
Metric
All indices use New York City as base (100)
Lower values indicate lower costs.
|
France
|
Italy
|
|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index |
|
|
| Rent Index |
|
|
| Groceries Index |
|
|
| Restaurant Price Index |
|
|
| Local Purchasing Power |
|
|
| Common Expenses Comparison | ||
| Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant (USD) | $15 | $15 |
| Three-Course Meal for 2 (USD) | $60 | $60 |
| Monthly Rent - City Center (USD) | $1,000 | $850 |
| Monthly Rent - Outside Center (USD) | $750 | $600 |
| Monthly Utilities (USD) | $165 | $155 |
| Internet (60 Mbps, USD) | $30 | $30 |
| Monthly Public Transport Pass (USD) | $70 | $40 |
Historical Data
Basic Information
| Metric | France | Italy |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 68100000 | 60250000 |
| Area (sq km) | 551695 | 301340 |
| Capital | Paris | Rome |
| Official Language | French | Italian |
| Currency | Euro (EUR) | Euro (EUR) |
| Government Type | Unitary semi-presidential republic | Unitary parliamentary republic |
Military Strength
| Metric | France | Italy |
|---|---|---|
| Active Personnel | 203,850 | 170,000 |
| Reserve Personnel | 35,000 | 18,300 |
| Total Military Personnel | 240,000 | 188,300 |
| Defense Budget (USD) | $55,000,000,000 | $29,800,000,000 |
| Tanks | 406 | 200 |
| Armored Vehicles | 6,300 | 3,500 |
| Self-Propelled Artillery | 109 | 89 |
| Towed Artillery | 12 | 70 |
| Rocket Projectors | 13 | 21 |
Economy
| Metric | France | Italy |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $2,936,700,000,000 | $2,058,000,000,000 |
| GDP Per Capita (USD) | $43,120 | $34,160 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 7.4% | 9.3% |
| GINI Index (Income Inequality) | 32.4 | 35.9 |
| Currency | Euro (EUR) | Euro (EUR) |
| Direct Currency Comparison (1 unit of row currency equals X units of column currency) | ||
| France Currency | 1.00 (Same) | 1.0000 Weaker |
| Italy Currency | 1.0000 Weaker | 1.00 (Same) |
| USD Base Exchange Rates (All calculations use USD as the base currency) | ||
| Currency | EUR | EUR |
| 1 USD equals | 0.8802 EUR Updated: 2026-06-27 | 0.8802 EUR Updated: 2026-06-27 |
Interesting Comparisons & Trivia
Did You Know?
France is 1.8 times larger in area than Italy.
France has 1.1 times more people than Italy.
France has the highest GDP per capita at $43,120 among the selected countries.
France has the largest economy with a GDP of
$2.94 trillion.
France has the largest active military personnel with 203,850 troops.
France has the largest air force with 1,055 aircraft.
France has the largest navy with 180 vessels.
France vs Italy: Key Comparisons
Economy: France's GDP of $2.9T is 1.4x larger than Italy's $2.1T — both among the world's largest economies.
Population: France's population of 68M is 1.1x larger than Italy's 60M.
Area: France covers 551,695 km², making it 1.8x larger than Italy.
Military: France fields 200Thousand active troops vs Italy's 170Thousand.
Trade: France has a trade deficit of $10B while Italy runs a trade surplus of $52B.
Life Expectancy: Italy leads with a life expectancy of 84 years vs France's 83.
Data compiled from World Bank, IMF, Global Firepower, SIPRI, Numbeo, and Pew Research.
Last updated June 2026.
Sources & methodology