France vs United States
France vs United States: National power
National power in 2022: 1.09% of world capability in France and 12.36% of world capability in United States, by Correlates of War estimates. In 2022 the value was higher in United States, by 11.27 percentage points, or 11 times that in France.
% of world capability · Correlates of War
What the numbers say
- United States has been higher since 1877, when it overtook France.
- In 2022, France ranked 20 and United States ranked 2 of 195 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of world capability · Correlates of War
| Year | France | United States |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1.09 | 12.36 |
| 2021 | 1.19 | 12.11 |
| 2020 | 1.15 | 12.44 |
| 2019 | 1.19 | 12.61 |
| 2018 | 1.26 | 11.99 |
| 2017 | 1.28 | 12.16 |
| 2016 | 1.34 | 13.33 |
| 2015 | 1.35 | 13.34 |
| 2014 | 1.4 | 12.97 |
| 2013 | 1.43 | 13.29 |
| 2012 | 1.42 | 13.92 |
| 2011 | 1.47 | 14.31 |
| 2010 | 1.6 | 14.79 |
| 2009 | 1.65 | 14.59 |
| 2008 | 1.82 | 14.78 |
| 2007 | 1.84 | 14.97 |
| 2006 | 1.87 | 15.45 |
| 2005 | 1.94 | 15.66 |
| 2004 | 1.97 | 15.17 |
| 2003 | 1.98 | 15.21 |
| 2002 | 1.95 | 15.37 |
| 2001 | 1.8 | 14.17 |
| 2000 | 1.88 | 14.29 |
| 1999 | 2.09 | 14.27 |
| 1998 | 2.21 | 14.17 |
| 1997 | 2.2 | 13.97 |
| 1996 | 2.29 | 13.86 |
| 1995 | 2.31 | 14.06 |
| 1994 | 2.29 | 14.59 |
| 1993 | 2.2 | 15.37 |
| 1992 | 2.17 | 14.85 |
| 1991 | 2.16 | 13.73 |
| 1990 | 2.02 | 14.14 |
| 1989 | 1.91 | 14.82 |
| 1988 | 1.87 | 13.45 |
| 1987 | 1.87 | 13.4 |
| 1986 | 1.85 | 13.53 |
| 1985 | 1.78 | 13.73 |
| 1984 | 1.86 | 13.56 |
| 1983 | 1.92 | 13.29 |
| 1982 | 2.02 | 12.96 |
| 1981 | 2.2 | 13.8 |
| 1980 | 2.4 | 13.31 |
| 1979 | 2.42 | 13.72 |
| 1978 | 2.37 | 13.97 |
| 1977 | 2.33 | 14.18 |
| 1976 | 2.37 | 14.25 |
| 1975 | 2.35 | 14.39 |
| 1974 | 2.43 | 15.27 |
| 1973 | 2.48 | 15.88 |
| 1972 | 2.43 | 16.47 |
| 1971 | 2.42 | 17 |
| 1970 | 2.44 | 18.1 |
| 1969 | 2.47 | 19.8 |
| 1968 | 2.5 | 20.34 |
| 1967 | 2.61 | 20.85 |
| 1966 | 2.63 | 20.87 |
| 1965 | 2.77 | 20.15 |
| 1964 | 2.88 | 20.3 |
| 1963 | 2.92 | 20.8 |
| 1962 | 2.94 | 20.99 |
| 1961 | 3.04 | 21.07 |
| 1960 | 3.29 | 21.54 |
| 1959 | 3.26 | 22.9 |
| 1958 | 3.38 | 23.45 |
| 1957 | 3.27 | 25.5 |
| 1956 | 3.26 | 26.06 |
| 1955 | 3.06 | 26.64 |
| 1954 | 3.3 | 28.09 |
| 1953 | 3.18 | 31.12 |
| 1952 | 3.34 | 31.14 |
| 1951 | 3.3 | 31.95 |
| 1950 | 3.32 | 28.44 |
| 1949 | 3.55 | 27.32 |
| 1948 | 3.26 | 29.47 |
| 1947 | 3.5 | 30.99 |
| 1946 | 3.13 | 36.4 |
| 1945 | 1.8 | 38.39 |
| 1944 | 1.82 | 35.06 |
| 1943 | – | 34.56 |
| 1942 | 1.56 | 28.55 |
| 1941 | 1.58 | 24.45 |
| 1940 | 7.58 | 20.19 |
| 1939 | 3.96 | 18.2 |
| 1938 | 4.56 | 17.08 |
| 1937 | 4.75 | 20.09 |
| 1936 | 5.31 | 20.6 |
| 1935 | 5.18 | 19.32 |
| 1934 | 5.75 | 19.74 |
| 1933 | 6.38 | 20.51 |
| 1932 | 6.89 | 19.72 |
| 1931 | 6.47 | 21.6 |
| 1930 | 6.11 | 22.81 |
| 1929 | 5.55 | 23.98 |
| 1928 | 5.88 | 24.01 |
| 1927 | 6.27 | 23.86 |
| 1926 | 6.03 | 26.33 |
| 1925 | 6.02 | 25.4 |
| 1924 | 6.1 | 25.36 |
| 1923 | 5.77 | 27.21 |
| 1922 | 5.73 | 25.56 |
| 1921 | 5.01 | 25.32 |
| 1920 | 5.82 | 28.96 |
| 1919 | 6.13 | 38.13 |
| 1918 | 8.84 | 29.49 |
| 1917 | 8.4 | 24.4 |
| 1916 | 8.58 | 23.29 |
| 1915 | 7.92 | 22.21 |
| 1914 | 7.48 | 20.64 |
| 1913 | 6.8 | 21.99 |
| 1912 | 7.22 | 22.48 |
| 1911 | 7.13 | 21.62 |
| 1910 | 7.05 | 22.65 |
| 1909 | 7.01 | 22.52 |
| 1908 | 7.23 | 20.32 |
| 1907 | 7.04 | 22.77 |
| 1906 | 6.94 | 21.83 |
| 1905 | 6.24 | 21.38 |
| 1904 | 7.03 | 20.49 |
| 1903 | 7.29 | 21.05 |
| 1902 | 7.17 | 20.77 |
| 1901 | 7.3 | 20.26 |
| 1900 | 7.47 | 18.8 |
| 1899 | 8.17 | 18.55 |
| 1898 | 8.21 | 19.71 |
| 1897 | 8.69 | 16.91 |
| 1896 | 9.04 | 16 |
| 1895 | 8.86 | 16.81 |
| 1894 | 9.31 | 15.44 |
| 1893 | 9.46 | 16.57 |
| 1892 | 9.38 | 17.33 |
| 1891 | 9.64 | 16.56 |
| 1890 | 9.53 | 16.54 |
| 1889 | 9.55 | 15.48 |
| 1888 | 9.35 | 15.23 |
| 1887 | 9.64 | 15.11 |
| 1886 | 9.9 | 14.61 |
| 1885 | 10.1 | 13.13 |
| 1884 | 10.45 | 13.14 |
| 1883 | 11.09 | 13.13 |
| 1882 | 11.16 | 13.1 |
| 1881 | 11.05 | 12.64 |
| 1880 | 10.83 | 12.55 |
| 1879 | 10.44 | 12.03 |
| 1878 | 10.08 | 10.83 |
| 1877 | 10.03 | 10.47 |
| 1876 | 10.2 | 10.19 |
| 1875 | 10.54 | 10.7 |
| 1874 | 10.46 | 11.42 |
| 1873 | 10.59 | 11.63 |
| 1872 | 10.32 | 11.53 |
| 1871 | 13.73 | 9.84 |
| 1870 | 12.74 | 9.9 |
| 1869 | 11.33 | 10.8 |
| 1868 | 11.41 | 10.66 |
| 1867 | 11.67 | 11.41 |
| 1866 | 10.93 | 9.82 |
| 1865 | 11.07 | 13.55 |
| 1864 | 9.73 | 19.29 |
| 1863 | 10.24 | 17.9 |
| 1862 | 10.61 | 17.64 |
| 1861 | 10.86 | 14.44 |
| 1860 | 12.21 | 7.74 |
| 1859 | 13.87 | 8.31 |
| 1858 | 13.14 | 8.34 |
| 1857 | 13.95 | 8.33 |
| 1856 | 14.04 | 7.84 |
| 1855 | 14.64 | 7.6 |
| 1854 | 12.54 | 7.42 |
| 1853 | 13.1 | 7.87 |
| 1852 | 12.77 | 7.19 |
| 1851 | 12.78 | 6.77 |
| 1850 | 12.7 | 7.25 |
| 1849 | 13.22 | 7.31 |
| 1848 | 13.57 | 8.72 |
| 1847 | 14.64 | 8.45 |
| 1846 | 13.73 | 8.28 |
| 1845 | 14.14 | 6.17 |
| 1844 | 14.35 | 5.73 |
| 1843 | 14.97 | 5.11 |
| 1842 | 15.8 | 4.93 |
| 1841 | 15.79 | 5.09 |
| 1840 | 15.03 | 4.96 |
| 1839 | 13.29 | 5.08 |
| 1838 | 13.65 | 5.33 |
| 1837 | 13.73 | 5.35 |
| 1836 | 13.22 | 5.1 |
| 1835 | 13.64 | 4.85 |
| 1834 | 13.72 | 4.78 |
| 1833 | 13.86 | 4.81 |
| 1832 | 14.15 | 4.45 |
| 1831 | 14.99 | 4.2 |
| 1830 | 14.01 | 3.85 |
| 1829 | 13.61 | 3.75 |
| 1828 | 14.37 | 3.57 |
| 1827 | 13.47 | 3.57 |
| 1826 | 13.83 | 3.64 |
| 1825 | 13.54 | 3.42 |
| 1824 | 13.66 | 3.3 |
| 1823 | 14.63 | 3.31 |
| 1822 | 13.19 | 3.29 |
| 1821 | 12.04 | 3.42 |
| 1820 | 12.33 | 3.71 |
| 1819 | 12.45 | 3.71 |
| 1818 | 11.52 | 3.61 |
| 1817 | 11.45 | 3.58 |
| 1816 | 11.73 | 3.97 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The Correlates of War’s Composite Index of National Capability: the country’s share of the world’s military spending, soldiers, iron and steel, energy use, people and city dwellers, averaged.
- Source: Correlates of War Project, National Material Capabilities v7.0; Singer, Bremer and Stuckey (1972), “Capability Distribution, Uncertainty, and Major Power War, 1820–1965”, in Bruce Russett (ed.), Peace, War, and Numbers, Sage, 19–48.
- Ranks count the 195 countries with a value in 2022, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
France vs United States
Health
- Life expectancyFrance: 83.3 years in 2023United States: 79.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityFrance: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024United States: 0.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityFrance: 3.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023United States: 5.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterFrance: 99.7% in 2022United States: 97.5% in 2022
- DepressionFrance: 4.25% in 2017United States: 4.84% in 2017
- Suicide rateFrance: 12.4 per 100,000 people in 2017United States: 12.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationFrance: 66.4 million people in 2023United States: 344 million people in 2023
- Population growthFrance: 0.17% a year in 2023United States: 0.58% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateFrance: 1.64 births per woman in 2023United States: 1.62 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationFrance: 78.8% in 2025United States: 80.2% in 2025
- Median ageFrance: 41.8 years in 2023United States: 38 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overFrance: 21.8% in 2023United States: 17.4% in 2023
- Net migration rateFrance: 1.4 per 1,000 people in 2023United States: 3.9 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingFrance: 2.03% of GDP in 2025United States: 3.12% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsFrance: $64.5B in 2025United States: $929B in 2025
- Military spending per personFrance: $1,021 in 2025United States: $2,755 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingFrance: 3.5% of government spending in 2025United States: 8.3% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelFrance: 304,000 people in 2020United States: 1.4 million people in 2020
- Armed forces, share of workersFrance: 1% of the labour force in 2020United States: 0.84% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsFrance: 236 million TIV in 2025United States: 745 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsFrance: 3.37 billion TIV in 2025United States: 14 billion TIV in 2025