France vs United Kingdom: Population in largest city
France
11.35 million
in 2025
United Kingdom
9.84 million
in 2025
France rank
20th
United Kingdom rank
23rd
Population in largest city over time
- France
- United Kingdom
How they compare
France currently reports 11.35 million against 9.84 million in United Kingdom, a difference of 1.51 million.
That makes France's figure about 1.2 times United Kingdom's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 66 shared years of data; in 1960 it was United Kingdom ahead.
France ranks 20th and United Kingdom ranks 23rd of 153 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, France averaged higher in 6 and United Kingdom in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | France | United Kingdom | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 7.81 million | 7.90 million | 95,083 | United Kingdom |
| 1970s | 8.48 million | 7.17 million | 1.31 million | France |
| 1980s | 8.93 million | 6.74 million | 2.19 million | France |
| 1990s | 9.49 million | 7.01 million | 2.49 million | France |
| 2000s | 10.06 million | 7.53 million | 2.53 million | France |
| 2010s | 10.71 million | 8.61 million | 2.10 million | France |
| 2020s | 11.18 million | 9.58 million | 1.59 million | France |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher population in largest city, France or United Kingdom?
- France, at 11.35 million against 9.84 million in United Kingdom as of 2025.
- What is the difference in population in largest city between France and United Kingdom?
- 1.51 million, with France ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for France and United Kingdom?
- 66 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2025.
- How do France and United Kingdom rank globally for population in largest city?
- France ranks 20th and United Kingdom ranks 23rd of 153 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), published as Population in largest city. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Population in largest city is the urban population living in the country's largest metropolitan area.