| People | France |
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Economy - overview:
|
France is in the midst of transition from a well-to-do modern economy that has featured extensive government ownership and intervention to one that relies more on market mechanisms. The government has partially or fully privatized many large companies, banks, and insurers, and has ceded stakes in such leading firms as Air France, France Telecom, Renault, and Thales. It maintains a strong presence in some sectors, particularly power, public transport, and defense industries. The telecommunications sector is gradually being opened to competition. France's leaders remain committed to a capitalism in which they maintain social equity by means of laws, tax policies, and social spending that reduce income disparity and the impact of free markets on public health and welfare. Widespread opposition to labor reform has in recent years hampered the government's ability to revitalize the economy. In 2007, the government launched divisive labor reform efforts that will continue into 2008. France's tax burden remains one of the highest in Europe (nearly 50% of GDP in 2005). France brought the budget deficit within the eurozone's 3%-of-GDP limit for the first time in 2007 and has reduced unemployment to roughly 8%. With at least 75 million foreign tourists per year, France is the most visited country in the world and maintains the third largest income in the world from tourism. |
GDP (purchasing power parity):
|
$2.067 trillion (2007 est.) |
GDP (official exchange rate):
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$2.515 trillion (2007 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate:
|
1.8% (2007 est.) |
GDP - per capita (PPP):
|
$33,800 (2007 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 2%
industry: 20.7%
services: 77.3% (2007 est.) |
Investment (gross fixed):
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20.7% of GDP (2007 est.) |
Population below poverty line:
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6.2% (2004) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: 3%
highest 10%: 24.8% (2004) |
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
|
28 (2005) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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1.5% (2007 est.) |
Labor force:
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27.76 million (2007 est.) |
Labor force participation rate:
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43.34 % of population |
Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture: 4.1%
industry: 24.4%
services: 71.5% (1999) |
Unemployment rate:
|
8% (2007 est.) |
Budget:
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revenues: $1.311 trillion
expenditures: $1.372 trillion (2007 est.) |
Budget revenues per capita:
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20,466 USD per capita |
Public debt:
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66.6% of GDP (2007 est.) |
Industries:
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machinery, chemicals, automobiles, metallurgy, aircraft, electronics; textiles, food processing; tourism |
Industrial production growth rate:
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1.6% (2007 est.) |
Electricity - production:
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543.6 billion kWh (2005) |
Electricity - production per capita:
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8,487 kWh per capita |
Electricity - consumption:
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451.5 billion kWh (2005) |
Electricity - consumption - per capita:
|
7,049 kWh per capita |
Electricity - exports:
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68.33 billion kWh (2005) |
Electricity - imports:
|
8.035 billion kWh (2005) |
Oil - production:
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73,180 bbl/day (2005 est.) |
Oil - production per capita:
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1,143 bbl/day per capita |
Oil - consumption:
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1.999 million bbl/day (2005 est.) |
Oil - consumption - per capita:
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11.39 bbl/year per capita |
Oil - exports:
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474,200 bbl/day (2005) |
Oil - imports:
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1.89 million bbl/day (2005) |
Oil - proved reserves:
|
158.4 million bbl (1 January 2006 est.) |
Natural gas - production:
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1.4 billion cu m (2004 est.) |
Natural gas - production per capita:
|
22 cu m per capita |
Natural gas - consumption:
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47.26 billion cu m (2005 est.) |
Natural gas - consumption - per capita:
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738 cu m per capita |
Natural gas - exports:
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863.2 million cu m (2005 est.) |
Natural gas - imports:
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47.02 billion cu m (2005 est.) |
Natural gas - proved reserves:
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341 billion cu m (1 January 2006 est.) |
Agriculture - products:
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wheat, cereals, sugar beets, potatoes, wine grapes; beef, dairy products; fish |
Current account balance:
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-$35.94 billion (2007 est.) |
Current account balance - per capita:
|
-561 USD per capita |
Exports:
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$558.9 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.) |
Exports per capita:
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8,725 USD per capita |
Exports - commodities:
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machinery and transportation equipment, aircraft, plastics, chemicals, pharmaceutical products, iron and steel, beverages |
Exports - partners:
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Germany 15.6%, Spain 9.6%, Italy 8.9%, UK 8.3%, Belgium 7.3%, US 6.6%, Netherlands 4% (2006) |
Imports:
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$601.4 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.) |
Imports per capita:
|
9,389 USD per capita |
Imports - commodities:
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machinery and equipment, vehicles, crude oil, aircraft, plastics, chemicals |
Imports - partners:
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Germany 18.9%, Belgium 11.1%, Italy 8.4%, Spain 7%, Netherlands 6.8%, UK 6.6%, US 4.6% (2006) |
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
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$98.24 billion (2006 est.) |
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold - per capita:
|
1,534 USD per capita |
Debt - external:
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$4.396 trillion (30 June 2007) |
Debt - external - per capita:
|
68,626 USD per capita |
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
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$697.4 billion (2006 est.) |
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
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$1.005 trillion (2006 est.) |
Market value of publicly traded shares:
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$1.71 trillion (2005) |
Economic aid - donor:
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ODA, $10.6 billion (2006) |
Economic aid - recipient:
|
void |
Economic aid - recipient per capita:
|
void |
Currency (code):
|
euro (EUR) |
Exchange rates:
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euros per US dollar - 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003) |
Fiscal year:
|
calendar year |
|
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