France: Surface area (sq. km)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, France's surface area (sq. km) did not change 0% on 2023 (from 606,410 to 606,410).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +0.3% and a typical year strayed about 1.9% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 10.4% in 2020 and the biggest yearly fall was 0.1% in 2004. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is upward, about 8,685 a year. A straight line explains 76% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2024, France had the 45th highest value of the 213 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to France in the 2024 ranking

• Somalia, Fed. Rep. — 42nd of 213: 637,657
• Norway — 43rd of 213: 624,500
• Central African Republic — 44th of 213: 622,980
• Ukraine — 46th of 213: 603,550
• Kenya — 47th of 213: 591,970
• Madagascar — 48th of 213: 591,896

What this measures

Surface area is a country's total area, including areas under inland bodies of water and some coastal waterways.

Limitations: The data are collected by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations through annual questionnaires. The FAO tries to impose standard definitions and reporting methods, but complete consistency across countries and over time is not possible. The data collected from official national sources through the questionnaire are supplemented with information from official secondary data sources. The secondary sources cover official country data from websites of national ministries, national publications and related country data reported by various international organizations.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.

All 64 values

Surface area (sq. km) in nearby economies

• Albania — 28,750 (2024)
• Andorra — 468 (2024)
• Armenia — 29,740 (2024)
• Austria — 83,879 (2024)
• Azerbaijan — 86,600 (2024)
• Belarus — 207,629 (2024)
• Belgium — 30,689 (2024)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 51,210 (2023)
• Bulgaria — 111,000 (2024)
• Channel Islands — 198 (2021)
• Croatia — 88,070 (2024)
• Cyprus — 9,250 (2024)

More environment data for France

• Population in largest city — 11.35 million (2025)
• Population in the largest city (% of urban population) — 20.94% (2025)
• Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million — 15.87 million (2025)
• Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million (% of total population) — 23.09% (2025)
• Rural population — 14.54 million (2025)
• Rural population (% of total population) — 21.16% (2025)
• Urban population — 54.18 million (2025)
• Urban population (% of total population) — 78.85% (2025)
• Aquaculture production (metric tons) — 189,039 (2024)
• Capture fisheries production (metric tons)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is France's surface area (sq. km)?

606,410 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1961?

It is up 10.44% from 549,086 in 1961 (0.16% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 606,410 in 2020 and the lowest 549,086 in 1961.

How does France rank?

45th highest of 213 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in surface area (sq. km) unusual for France?

In 2024, France's surface area (sq. km) did not change 0% on 2023 (from 606,410 to 606,410). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +0.3% and a typical year strayed about 1.9% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator AG.SRF.TOTL.K2, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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