France vs United Kingdom: Total population
France
66,601 thousands
in 2025
United Kingdom
69,353 thousands
in 2025
France rank
23rd
United Kingdom rank
22nd
Total population over time
- France
- United Kingdom
How they compare
United Kingdom currently reports 69,353 thousands against 66,601 thousands in France, a difference of 2,752 thousands.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 56 shared years of data; in 1970 it was United Kingdom ahead.
France ranks 23rd and United Kingdom ranks 22nd of 230 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, France averaged higher in 1 and United Kingdom in 5.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | France | United Kingdom | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 52,290 thousands | 56,069 thousands | 3,779 thousands | United Kingdom |
| 1980s | 55,163 thousands | 56,561 thousands | 1,398 thousands | United Kingdom |
| 1990s | 57,941 thousands | 58,003 thousands | 62.24 thousands | United Kingdom |
| 2000s | 61,163 thousands | 60,369 thousands | 793.94 thousands | France |
| 2010s | 64,555 thousands | 64,896 thousands | 340.79 thousands | United Kingdom |
| 2020s | 66,244 thousands | 68,223 thousands | 1,979 thousands | United Kingdom |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher total population, France or United Kingdom?
- United Kingdom, at 69,353 thousands against 66,601 thousands in France as of 2025.
- What is the difference in total population between France and United Kingdom?
- 2,752 thousands, with United Kingdom ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for France and United Kingdom?
- 56 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
- How do France and United Kingdom rank globally for total population?
- France ranks 23rd and United Kingdom ranks 22nd of 230 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Total population (thousands). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release