France vs United Kingdom: Population, total
France
68.72 million
in 2025
United Kingdom
69.49 million
in 2025
France rank
23rd
United Kingdom rank
22nd
Population, total over time
- France
- United Kingdom
How they compare
United Kingdom currently reports 69.49 million against 68.72 million in France, a difference of 766,700.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 66 shared years of data; in 1960 it was United Kingdom ahead.
France ranks 23rd and United Kingdom ranks 22nd of 218 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, France averaged higher in 4 and United Kingdom in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | France | United Kingdom | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 49.55 million | 54.07 million | 4.51 million | United Kingdom |
| 1970s | 53.70 million | 56.11 million | 2.41 million | United Kingdom |
| 1980s | 56.56 million | 56.58 million | 15,030 | United Kingdom |
| 1990s | 59.40 million | 57.95 million | 1.45 million | France |
| 2000s | 62.90 million | 60.37 million | 2.53 million | France |
| 2010s | 66.31 million | 64.81 million | 1.50 million | France |
| 2020s | 68.21 million | 68.11 million | 104,117 | France |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher population, total, France or United Kingdom?
- United Kingdom, at 69.49 million against 68.72 million in France as of 2025.
- What is the difference in population, total between France and United Kingdom?
- 766,700, with United Kingdom ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for France and United Kingdom?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do France and United Kingdom rank globally for population, total?
- France ranks 23rd and United Kingdom ranks 22nd of 218 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as Population, total. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Total population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship. The values shown are midyear estimates.