France vs Iran
France vs Iran: GDP growth
GDP growth in 2025: 0.9% a year in France and -0.9% a year in Iran, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in France, by 1.8 percentage points.
% a year · IMF
What the numbers say
- France has been higher since 2025, when it overtook Iran.
- In 2025, France ranked 125 and Iran ranked 141 of 143 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts France at 1.1% a year and Iran at 2% a year in 2031.
Every year
% a year · IMF
| Year | France | Iran |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.9 | -0.9 |
| 2024 | 1.4 | 3.7 |
| 2023 | 1.8 | 5.3 |
| 2022 | 2.8 | 4.4 |
| 2021 | 6.8 | 4.1 |
| 2020 | -7.6 | 4.4 |
| 2019 | 2.1 | -2.4 |
| 2018 | 1.6 | -3.7 |
| 2017 | 2.3 | 3 |
| 2016 | 0.7 | 6.5 |
| 2015 | 1 | -1.4 |
| 2014 | 1 | 5 |
| 2013 | 0.9 | -1.5 |
| 2012 | 0.2 | -3.7 |
| 2011 | 2.5 | 5.7 |
| 2010 | 1.8 | 5.8 |
| 2009 | -2.7 | 1 |
| 2008 | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| 2007 | 2.5 | 8.2 |
| 2006 | 2.9 | 5 |
| 2005 | 2 | 3.2 |
| 2004 | 2.5 | 4.3 |
| 2003 | 1 | 8.6 |
| 2002 | 1.1 | 8.1 |
| 2001 | 1.8 | 2.4 |
| 2000 | 4.4 | 5.8 |
| 1999 | 3.3 | 2 |
| 1998 | 3.5 | 2.1 |
| 1997 | 2.5 | 1.4 |
| 1996 | 1.3 | 6.4 |
| 1995 | 2.5 | 2.4 |
| 1994 | 2.4 | -1.7 |
| 1993 | -0.4 | -1.5 |
| 1992 | 1.4 | 3.3 |
| 1991 | 1.3 | 12.7 |
| 1990 | 2.8 | 13.6 |
| 1989 | 4.6 | 6.1 |
| 1988 | 4.7 | -6.1 |
| 1987 | 2.6 | -0.2 |
| 1986 | 2.3 | -9.8 |
| 1985 | 1.7 | 1.9 |
| 1984 | 1.7 | -7.1 |
| 1983 | 1.3 | 11.1 |
| 1982 | 2.4 | 23.2 |
| 1981 | 1.2 | -5.7 |
| 1980 | 1.8 | -21.6 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | France | Iran |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0.4 | -7.6 |
| 2027 | 0.7 | 3.6 |
| 2028 | 1.2 | 1.5 |
| 2029 | 1.1 | 1.8 |
| 2030 | 1.1 | 2 |
| 2031 | 1.1 | 2 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- How much the economy grew or shrank in a year, after inflation.
- Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
- The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 143 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
France vs Iran
Health
- Life expectancyFrance: 83.3 years in 2023Iran: 77.7 years in 2023
- Child mortalityFrance: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024Iran: 1.1 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityFrance: 3.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023Iran: 9.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterFrance: 99.7% in 2022Iran: 94.2% in 2022
- DepressionFrance: 4.25% in 2017Iran: 5.12% in 2017
- Suicide rateFrance: 12.4 per 100,000 people in 2017Iran: 5.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationFrance: 66.4 million people in 2023Iran: 90.6 million people in 2023
- Population growthFrance: 0.17% a year in 2023Iran: 1.12% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateFrance: 1.64 births per woman in 2023Iran: 1.7 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationFrance: 78.8% in 2025Iran: 77.4% in 2025
- Median ageFrance: 41.8 years in 2023Iran: 32.9 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overFrance: 21.8% in 2023Iran: 7.9% in 2023
- Net migration rateFrance: 1.4 per 1,000 people in 2023Iran: 2.9 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingFrance: 2.03% of GDP in 2025Iran: 2.09% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsFrance: $64.5B in 2025Iran: $7.45B in 2025
- Military spending per personFrance: $1,021 in 2025Iran: $80 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingFrance: 3.5% of government spending in 2025Iran: 11.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelFrance: 304,000 people in 2020Iran: 650,000 people in 2020
- National powerFrance: 1.09% of world capability in 2022Iran: 1.64% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersFrance: 1% of the labour force in 2020Iran: 2.35% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsFrance: 236 million TIV in 2025Iran: 42 million TIV in 2024
- Arms exportsFrance: 3.37 billion TIV in 2025Iran: 80 million TIV in 2025