France vs Spain
Side-by-side economic and demographic comparison · 2026 data · Source: IMF & World Bank
France and Spain are major EU economies with strong trade links. France's GDP is roughly 70% larger than Spain's, reflecting higher productivity and a more diversified industrial base. Spain's economy is more tourism-dependent (tourism accounts for ~12% of GDP, twice France's share), which made it more vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic. Spain suffered a deeper housing crisis in 2008-2012 and has higher structural unemployment, particularly among youth (30%+). Both countries have large agricultural sectors and compete in wine, olive oil, and food exports.
France has a GDP of $3.60T compared to Spain's $2.09T, making it 1.7x larger. France's population is 68.7M vs Spain's 49.4M. Across 12 key indicators, France leads in 9 categories. All data sourced from the IMF World Economic Outlook and World Bank World Development Indicators.
| Indicator |  France |  Spain |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (USD) | $3.60T✓ | $2.09T |
| GDP per Capita | $52,083✓ | $41,563 |
| GDP Growth (%) | 0.9% | 2.1%✓ |
| GDP per Capita (PPP) | $68,567✓ | $59,187 |
| Population | 68.7M✓ | 49.4M |
| Life Expectancy | 83.0 years | 83.9 years✓ |
| Inflation (%) | 1.8%✓ | 3.0% |
| Unemployment (%) | 7.9%✓ | 9.8% |
| Govt Debt (% GDP) | 118.4% | 98.2%✓ |
| Fertility Rate | 1.6✓ | 1.1 |
| Gini Index | 31.8✓ | 33.4 |
| CO₂ per Capita (t) | 4✓ | 4.5 |
Summary
France has a GDP of $3.60T compared to Spain's $2.09T, making the former economy 1.7x larger. In terms of population, France has 68.7M people while Spain has 49.4M. Across the 12 indicators compared, France leads in 9 and Spain leads in 3.
Why sources report different numbers
The IMF, World Bank and United Nations each publish these series on their own release schedule. Where their figures differ, the reason is usually visible in the reference year rather than in the methodology.
| Source | France | Spain |
|---|---|---|
| IMF | $3.60T2026 | $2.09T2026 |
| World Bank | $3.37T2025 | $1.91T2025 |
| United Nations | $3.16T2024 | $1.72T2024 |
These are not the same reference year. IMF publishes 2026 and United Nations publishes 2024 — each is the latest that publisher has released, on its own schedule. A figure for a year still in progress is a projection rather than an outturn. France spans about 14% across 2 years; Spain spans about 21% across 2 years.
| Source | France | Spain |
|---|---|---|
| IMF | $52,0832026 | $41,5632026 |
| World Bank | $48,9862025 | $38,6272025 |
| United Nations | $45,9502024 | $35,9582024 |
These are not the same reference year. IMF publishes 2026 and United Nations publishes 2024 — each is the latest that publisher has released, on its own schedule. A figure for a year still in progress is a projection rather than an outturn. France spans about 13% across 2 years; Spain spans about 16% across 2 years.
Figures are reproduced as published by each source, converted to a common unit, with each publisher's own reference year shown. Differences are described, not adjudicated — no source is presented as more correct than another.