France has a population of nearly 68 million people, with 80% living in urban areas. It has the second largest economy in Europe, driven largely by small and medium enterprises. While known for its contributions to global culture like art, food, and fashion, France also has a highly developed digital economy and is focusing on further digital innovation. The presentation provides an overview of France's demographics, economy, culture and character, as well as the growing opportunities in its digital landscape for international marketers.

1. France:
Market overview
August 2021

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Oban International:
French market overview
Who is this presentation for?
International marketers looking for an
informative yet digestible overview of the
French market.
What does this presentation contain?
Information on France’s population, culture,
business and digital marketing landscape.

3. French geography & demography

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France is divided into two
types of territories:
• La France
métropolitaine:
• 13 regions
• La France d'outre-mer:
• 5 regions and departments
• 5 overseas “collectivités”
• The French Southern and
Antarctic Lands
• La Nouvelle-Calédonie
France is the largest country in Europe by land area

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France has the second largest population in Europe
Source: https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/references/guide-to-country-comparisons/
Germany 79m
France 68m
UK 66m

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France has the 21st largest population in the world
Rank Country
1 China 1,397,897,720
2 India 1,339,330,514
3 United States 334,998,398
4 Indonesia 275,122,131
5 Pakistan 238,181,034
6 Nigeria 219,463,862
7 Brazil 213,445,417
8 Bangladesh 164,098,818
9 Russia 142,320,790
10 Mexico 130,207,371
11 Japan 124,687,293
12 Ethiopia 110,871,031
13 Philippines 110,818,325
14 Egypt 106,437,241
15 Democratic Republic of the Congo 105,044,646
16 Vietnam 102,789,598
17 Iran 85,888,910
18 Turkey 82,482,383
19 Germany 79,903,481
20 Thailand 69,480,520
21 France 68,084,217
22 United Kingdom 66,052,076
x 21 x 20
x 5

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France: Rural landscapes, urban lives
80% of population live in urban
locations
Land use is broadly agricultural
• 52% agricultural soils
• 40% natural soils
• 8% artificial soils

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A quarter of the population lives
in the three largest metropolitan areas
- 5,000,000 10,000,000 15,000,000
Saint-Étienne
Avignon
Douai et Lens
Montpellier
Toulon
Rouen
Grenoble
Rennes
Strasbourg
Nantes
Nice
Lille
Bordeaux
Toulouse
Marseille et Aix-en-…
Lyon
Paris
Paris alone
accounts for
nearly 20% of
the French
population

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“Racial” or ethnic makeup
• France does not officially gather ethnic demographic data.
• “Race” isn’t a word used to describe people.
• This is a key part of the debate about equality across ethnic
minorities as without data, it is hard to assess the issue and
quantify progress.
• The INSEE mainly collects data about immigrants.
• Languages:
• French – 56m native speakers or 87%
• Arabic– 2.3m native speakers or 4%
• Portuguese – 1m native speakers or 1.5%
• Spanish– 800k native speakers or 1.2%
• Italian – 600k native speakers or 1%

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Like many countries in Europe, France
has an ageing population - median age 42.3
Median Age
Year UK France
1960 35.6 33
2020 40.5 42.3
-
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50

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Key French demographic stats
• Unemployment rate: 8.3% (2020)
• Population growth: 0.1% annual
change (2019)
• Life expectancy: 85.3 (2017)
• Fertility rate: 1.88 birth per woman
(2018)

12. French economy
12

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France is the 7th largest economy in the world
The World Bank Dec 2020
The 168 countries
outside the top 25
make up less than a
fifth of the total global
economy.
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
USA China Japan Germany India Countries 6-
10
Countries
11-15
Countries
16-25
Rest - 168
% Share of the global economy

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France’s main import and export partners
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
Germany United States Italy Spain Belgium United
Kingdom
Export
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
18%
20%
Germany Belgium Italy Spain China Netherlands United
Kingdom
Import
Source: Statista

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France has a workforce of 30m,
the 2nd largest in the EU after Germany
Service: 78% Industry: 20% Agriculture: 2%

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The 3rd largest GDP in Europe, fuelled by SMEs
3m
SMEs
99.9% of enterprises
in France, of which
95.5% are of micro-
enterprises.
64% of
employ-
ment
On par with
EU averages.
56% of
value
added
SMEs are at the
core of the
European
economy.
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
Media,
communication
or information
(e.g.,
broadcasting,
telecoms,
computer
programming)
Other Retail or
wholesale (incl.
online shops)
Personal
services (e.g.
beauty and
wellness, repair
of household
goods)
Professional
services (e.g.,
financial
services,
consulting,
travel agents,
business
services)
Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/701501/monthly-sme-industry-sectors-france/ , https://www.statista.com/statistics/701501/monthly-sme-industry-sectors-france/
65% of EU
SMEs lost
revenue due
to covid

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Doing business in France might
not be so slow after all!

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France has produced many global superstar businesses

19. French character

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French architecture, art, food and fashion has
influenced global culture throughout history
Medieval Gothic art
• Originated in northern
France in the 12th
century.
• Seen in architecture,
sculpture, stained-glass
windows and
illuminations

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French culture remains globally influential today
Source: Google

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France was the most visited
country in the world in 2018
Eiffel
Tower
Louvre
museum
Calanques
of
Marseille
Nice Val
Thorens
Source: Google

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How does the world view France?

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France’s colonial past plays a part
in how it’s perceived internationally
400 years
Labour shortage in The New World drove
slave traders across the Atlantic From
the 16th to the 19th century.
12 million slaves
Western Africa or “the slave
coast” was the main source.
1.5 million deaths
Most died during
transport.

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France ranks 7th on The Good Country Index
9
3
38
8 7
Countries covered so far:

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PD | High
• Educated to be
emotionally
dependant on
parents.
• Fair degree of
inequality
accepted.
• Increased
hierarchy in
companies
Ind. | High
• Educated to be
emotionally
independent from
group.
• Unique balance
with Power
Distance.
• family has more
emotional glue
than other
Individualist
cultures
Mas. | Low
• Focus on quality of
life, welfare.
• Upper class is
feminine, lower
class masculine
which is not found
in any other
countries.
• Top managers
earn less than
expected given
Power Distance
score.
UA | High
• The French don’t
like surprises.
• Good at
developing
complex
technologies and
systems.
• Emotional safety
valves; talkative,
need rules.
• PD combo makes
for good rebels
too.
LTO | High
• Pragmatic; truth
depends on
context and time.
• Adaptable to
changing
conditions, and
perseverance in
achieving results.
Indl. | Average
• Less relaxed,
enjoy life less
often then
commonly
assumed.
Source: https://www.hofstede-insights.com/country-comparison/
Source:
Hofstede’s
country
comparisons

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A nation of pessimists?
A 2011 BVA-Gallup
International survey found that
despite their relatively high
standard of living, the French
were the most pessimistic
people in the world.

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“Customer service is poor in the
eyes of all those Anglo-Saxons who
believe that the customer is king.
Not so in France. The French are
self-motivated to be the best in their
trade. They, therefore, expect
respect for what they do, after which
they are very much willing to serve
you well.”
Source: https://www.hofstede-insights.com/country-comparison/
French attitudes to customer service…

29. French digital landscape

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76.6% use internet and there are 109.5
mobile subscriptions per 100 people
Source: Statista market report

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Healthy e-commerce growth ahead for France
79%
3%
1%
13%
4%
E-commerce by payment method
Card Cash Bank Transfer Digital wallet Other
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Revenue by segment in millions
Video-on-Demand Video Games ePublishing Digital Music
Source: Statista

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Digital payment methods are
increasingly used for day-to-day purchases
0.
20,000.
40,000.
60,000.
80,000.
100,000.
120,000.
2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Digital Commerce Mobile POS Payments
Source: Statista

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France is betting on digital to boost its economy
“With €7 billion, I think the
digital sector is the sector that
is receiving the biggest
investment overall compared
to all other sectors except the
environmental sector.”
Cédric O - Digital Minister

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Oban International can help you expand internationally
• Oban International can help you navigate different
markets around the world using our network of Local
In-Market Experts (LIMEs). To find out how, please
get in touch.
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About Oban International
Oban International is the leading digital marketing
agency for international growth.
By identifying our clients'​ biggest opportunities for global
expansion - and ensuring they avoid costly mistakes - we
help ambitious brands hit tough global targets.
Since 2002, we have worked with a wide variety of
businesses to develop market strategies, optimise
performance in existing markets and launch into new
ones.
Our core team of digital experts, based in our Brighton
UK HQ, work with insights from our unique network of
LIMEs (Local In-Market Experts). Together, they plan and
deliver powerful digital strategies and campaigns in any
market on the planet.