Languages spoken in France
Paris
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The main language spoken in France is:
French - the sole official language, spoken by essentially the entire population.
Declining regional dialects and languages persist in various regions, including Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish, Occitan, and Picard.
Overseas departments also have their own languages, such as Creole patois and Mahorian.
French is the sole official language of France.
| Geography |
Location: Western Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay and English Channel, between Belgium and Spain; also bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Italy and Spain
Map references: Europe
Area:
total: 643,801 sq km (including overseas territories); 551,500 sq km (metropolitan France)
Land boundaries:
border countries: Andorra, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, Spain, Switzerland
Environment - current issues: air pollution and acid rain from industrial and vehicle emissions; water pollution from urban wastes and agricultural runoff
| People |
Population: 68,512,806-69,081,996 (2025-2026 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 16.96%
15-64 years: 60.87%
65 years and over: 22.17% (2024)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 83.1 years
male: 80.3 years
female: 85.9 years (2025)
Median age: 42.7 years (2025 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Frenchman(men), Frenchwoman(women)
adjective: French
Ethnic groups: Celtic and Latin with Teutonic, Slavic, North African (Algerian, Moroccan, Tunisian), Indochinese, and Basque minorities
Religions: Roman Catholic 47%, Muslim 4%, Protestant 2%, Buddhist 2%, Orthodox 1%, Jewish 1%, other 1%, none 33%, unspecified 9% (2021 est.)
Languages: French (official) 100%, declining regional dialects and languages (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish, Occitan, Picard)
Population distribution: much of the population is concentrated in the north and southeast; Paris is by far the largest city, with Lyon a distant second
Major urban areas: 11.208 million Paris (capital), 1.761 million Lyon, 1.628 million Marseille-Aix-en-Provence, 1.079 million Lille (2023)
| Government |
Country name:
conventional long form: French Republic
conventional short form: France
Data code: FR
Government type: semi-presidential republic
National capital: Paris
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Emmanuel MACRON (since 14 May 2017)
head of government: Sebastien LECORNU (since 10 September 2025)
Background: France today is one of the most modern countries in the world and a leader among European nations; since 1905, politics have been governed by the principle of laicite (strict separation between church and state)
| Economy |
Economy - overview: high-income, advanced EU and Eurozone economy; strong tourism sector; diversified industrial base spanning aerospace, automobiles, luxury goods, and pharmaceuticals
GDP (purchasing power parity): $4.84 trillion (2026 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 1.0% (2026f)
GDP - per capita: $69,942 PPP (2026 est.)
Inflation rate: 1.5% (2026f)
Unemployment rate: 7.5-7.7% (2025-2026 est.); youth unemployment 16.57% (Q4 2024)
Labor force: 31,725,232 (2024)
Population below poverty line: 5.5% (13.2% including overseas territories)
Industries: machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft, defense, electronics, textiles, food processing, tourism, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, nuclear energy, beverages
Exports: $1.203 trillion (2024 est.); machinery and equipment, aircraft, plastics, chemicals, pharmaceutical products, iron and steel
Currency: Euro (EUR)
| Military |
Military branches: French Armed Forces: Army (includes Foreign Legion), Navy, Air and Space Force, National Guard, National Gendarmerie (2025)
Military manpower: approximately 200,000 active-duty Armed Forces; approximately 150,000 National Gendarmerie; approximately 80,000 National Guard (2025)