Competitive and Globalized
A Country with a Global Outlook
Competitive and Globalized
Multinational companies which choose France benefit from its strategic position at the heart of Europe, a single market of over 500 million consumers, and from its membership of the euro zone, which offers the advantages of a single currency in 17 different countries.
With 65 million inhabitants, France is the second-largest consumer market in Europe after Germany and the fifth-largest economy in the world, with a GDP of US$2,751 billion in 2011.
The fourth largest FDI recipient in Europe in 2010
While France is the leading tourist destination in the world, it was also the fourth largest recipient of foreign direct investment in Europe in 2010, according to UNCTAD, receiving US$34 billion in foreign investment flows.
In a climate marked by a worldwide decline in FDI flows, the IFA and France's regional development agencies recorded 782 new job-creating foreign investment projects in 2010, an increase of 22.4% on 2009 (639 projects). The number of jobs created or maintained by these new investments was nearly 32,000.
A leading player in the world economy
France is a leading player in the world economy. According to the International Monetary Fund (World Economic Outlook Database, April 2011), the French economy is the fifth largest in the world and the second largest in Europe. This position among leading economies is notably due to the international openness of the French economy:
- France's leading industrial giants have a strong global footprint: among the world's 500 largest companies, 35 are French, 34 are German and 30 are British.
- France has long been open to inward investment. Over 20,000 foreign companies currently have a base in France, employing over two million people and making an important contribution to the economy. Foreign companies are responsible for one-third of all French exports and account for 22% of all corporate R&D in France.
- France's standing in the world can also be seen by the number of international events and foreign students it welcomes. After Vienna and Barcelona, Paris puts on more international conferences than any other city in the world. With 285,000 foreign students welcomed to French universities every year, France is the fourth most popular destination country in the world after the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom.
