Human Development & Quality of Life in France
HDI 0.920 · UNDP rank 26 · latest published data
With HDI 0.920 for 2023, France sits at rank 26 in UNDP's latest table and falls in the very high human development group. What makes the country profile more informative than the rank alone is that gender development sits close to parity on the GDI measure at 0.993 (UNDP group 1). Separately, Gender inequality is low on the GII scale at 0.034, with UNDP rank 11.
What sits inside France's HDI
For this comparison, France's 2023 HDI inputs include life expectancy of 83.3, expected schooling of 16.1, mean schooling of 11.8, and GNI per capita of $55,060 in 2021 PPP dollars. Together they explain the headline index without turning any single input into a separate ranking.
Inequality changes the headline
For France, IHDI asks how the HDI changes once unequal achievement across people is considered, the adjustment is about distribution rather than subjective well-being.
Gender and planetary-pressure adjustments
For the 2023 development snapshot, France has additional UNDP measures of GDI 0.993, GII 0.034, PHDI 0.804. Their scopes differ, which is why the page presents them side by side rather than blending them.
A separate quality-of-life signal
France has a dated OECD life-satisfaction observation of 7.10/10 in 2023. Life satisfaction remains distinct from the health, education and income dimensions used by HDI.
What France's numbers say together
For the evidence shown here, the complementary evidence for France includes IHDI 0.836 with a 9.1% loss; PHDI 0.804 after a 12.6% adjustment; GDI 0.993; life satisfaction 7.10/10 (2023). They are related indicators, but they should not be combined into one country score.
At 0.920, France's 2023 HDI corresponds to UNDP rank 26. The ranking reflects the HDI framework only and does not capture every aspect of lived experience. When looking across the UNDP tables, keep the observation year attached before using the result as a shorthand for lived experience.
The IHDI is 0.836, and UNDP reports an overall loss of 9.1% relative to the headline index.
The GDI value is 0.993 in group 1; it should be read alongside, not merged into, HDI.
The dated life-satisfaction observation used for France is 7.10/10 for 2023. A life-satisfaction result is not an input to HDI and remains a separate quality-of-life signal.
Frequently asked questions
What is France's HDI?
UNDP's Human Development Report 2025 gives France an HDI of 0.920 for 2023 and rank 26.
How does inequality affect France's HDI?
For France, IHDI is 0.836 and the associated inequality loss is 9.1%. This adjustment concerns the distribution of HDI achievements.
What is the life satisfaction score shown for France?
The comparable OECD observation for France is 7.10/10, dated 2023. A life-satisfaction result is not an input to HDI and remains a separate quality-of-life signal.
Is HDI the same as quality of life?
No. UNDP's HDI focuses on longevity, education and income. Quality-of-life evidence is presented alongside HDI only when a comparable observation is available.
Sources & methodology
Sources for the development indicators and definitions shown above.
View sources used for this page
Primary source for 2023 HDI and its components, plus IHDI, GDI, GII and PHDI where reported.
Report edition underlying the 2023 human-development indices and ranking.
Source for the dated 0-10 life-satisfaction observation. This separate measure is not part of HDI.
Data note: Reference years are shown with each indicator; unavailable observations remain unfilled.