From Lifestyle to Luxury, France Leads the Way in Europe

France is outperforming its European peers in a myriad of categories.

Since 2018, France’s cumulative GDP growth has been twice that of Germany, Britain, Italy, and Spain. France also boosts considerably more high-speed, green rail than its European neighbors. 66 percent of France’s electricity is generated by its nuclear industry, which emits much less carbon emissions than other means of electricty production. What’s more, the world’s top three luxury firms are French: LVMH, Hermès, and Dior.

Though France has been in the news in recent months for less-than-favorable reasons, the numbers reveal a different story. The country’s poverty rate is far below the average of its European peers. When compared with Americans, the French are much less likely to be obese and live an average of six years longer. The jobless rate stands at 6.9 percent, the lowest in 15 years. Better infrastructure, cheaper child care, and more abundant energy, among others, have all contributed to France’s relative success in Europe.