France vs United Kingdom: Urban area over the long-term
France
15,122 km² per grid cell
in 2025
United Kingdom
14,143 km² per grid cell
in 2025
France rank
10th
United Kingdom rank
11th
Urban area over the long-term over time
- France
- United Kingdom
How they compare
France currently reports 15,122 km² per grid cell against 14,143 km² per grid cell in United Kingdom, a difference of 979 km² per grid cell.
That makes France's figure about 1.1 times United Kingdom's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 108 shared years of data; in 1000 it was France ahead.
France ranks 10th and United Kingdom ranks 11th of 202 countries.
Across the 40 decades both report, France averaged higher in 27 and United Kingdom in 13.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | France | United Kingdom | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000s | 174.71 km² per grid cell | 27.1 km² per grid cell | 147.61 km² per grid cell | France |
| 1100s | 283.04 km² per grid cell | 52.65 km² per grid cell | 230.38 km² per grid cell | France |
| 1200s | 444.95 km² per grid cell | 65.71 km² per grid cell | 379.24 km² per grid cell | France |
| 1300s | 654.98 km² per grid cell | 88.29 km² per grid cell | 566.69 km² per grid cell | France |
| 1400s | 502.33 km² per grid cell | 39.58 km² per grid cell | 462.75 km² per grid cell | France |
| 1500s | 748.11 km² per grid cell | 39.58 km² per grid cell | 708.53 km² per grid cell | France |
| 1600s | 874.88 km² per grid cell | 39.58 km² per grid cell | 835.3 km² per grid cell | France |
| 1700s | 874.88 km² per grid cell | 39.58 km² per grid cell | 835.3 km² per grid cell | France |
| 1710s | 874.88 km² per grid cell | 93.19 km² per grid cell | 781.69 km² per grid cell | France |
| 1720s | 978.4 km² per grid cell | 164.48 km² per grid cell | 813.92 km² per grid cell | France |
| 1730s | 1,105 km² per grid cell | 243.67 km² per grid cell | 861.1 km² per grid cell | France |
| 1740s | 1,220 km² per grid cell | 331.46 km² per grid cell | 888.57 km² per grid cell | France |
| 1750s | 1,327 km² per grid cell | 428.76 km² per grid cell | 897.84 km² per grid cell | France |
| 1760s | 1,426 km² per grid cell | 475.08 km² per grid cell | 950.7 km² per grid cell | France |
| 1770s | 1,521 km² per grid cell | 524.72 km² per grid cell | 996.76 km² per grid cell | France |
| 1780s | 1,616 km² per grid cell | 577.95 km² per grid cell | 1,039 km² per grid cell | France |
| 1790s | 1,713 km² per grid cell | 635.1 km² per grid cell | 1,078 km² per grid cell | France |
| 1800s | 1,815 km² per grid cell | 696.54 km² per grid cell | 1,119 km² per grid cell | France |
| 1810s | 2,020 km² per grid cell | 783.4 km² per grid cell | 1,236 km² per grid cell | France |
| 1820s | 2,225 km² per grid cell | 1,098 km² per grid cell | 1,127 km² per grid cell | France |
| 1830s | 2,410 km² per grid cell | 1,384 km² per grid cell | 1,026 km² per grid cell | France |
| 1840s | 2,643 km² per grid cell | 1,819 km² per grid cell | 824.23 km² per grid cell | France |
| 1850s | 2,905 km² per grid cell | 2,071 km² per grid cell | 833.34 km² per grid cell | France |
| 1860s | 3,102 km² per grid cell | 2,446 km² per grid cell | 655.85 km² per grid cell | France |
| 1870s | 3,289 km² per grid cell | 2,934 km² per grid cell | 355.14 km² per grid cell | France |
| 1880s | 3,544 km² per grid cell | 3,547 km² per grid cell | 2.54 km² per grid cell | United Kingdom |
| 1890s | 3,784 km² per grid cell | 4,193 km² per grid cell | 409.4 km² per grid cell | United Kingdom |
| 1900s | 4,016 km² per grid cell | 4,967 km² per grid cell | 950.28 km² per grid cell | United Kingdom |
| 1910s | 4,282 km² per grid cell | 5,805 km² per grid cell | 1,523 km² per grid cell | United Kingdom |
| 1920s | 4,260 km² per grid cell | 6,459 km² per grid cell | 2,199 km² per grid cell | United Kingdom |
| 1930s | 4,733 km² per grid cell | 7,139 km² per grid cell | 2,406 km² per grid cell | United Kingdom |
| 1940s | 4,924 km² per grid cell | 7,809 km² per grid cell | 2,885 km² per grid cell | United Kingdom |
| 1950s | 5,699 km² per grid cell | 8,823 km² per grid cell | 3,124 km² per grid cell | United Kingdom |
| 1960s | 7,316 km² per grid cell | 9,288 km² per grid cell | 1,972 km² per grid cell | United Kingdom |
| 1970s | 8,779 km² per grid cell | 10,229 km² per grid cell | 1,450 km² per grid cell | United Kingdom |
| 1980s | 9,585 km² per grid cell | 11,246 km² per grid cell | 1,662 km² per grid cell | United Kingdom |
| 1990s | 10,365 km² per grid cell | 11,669 km² per grid cell | 1,304 km² per grid cell | United Kingdom |
| 2000s | 11,882 km² per grid cell | 12,278 km² per grid cell | 395.69 km² per grid cell | United Kingdom |
| 2010s | 13,760 km² per grid cell | 13,156 km² per grid cell | 604.18 km² per grid cell | France |
| 2020s | 14,804 km² per grid cell | 13,915 km² per grid cell | 888.48 km² per grid cell | France |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher urban area over the long-term, France or United Kingdom?
- France, at 15,122 km² per grid cell against 14,143 km² per grid cell in United Kingdom as of 2025.
- What is the difference in urban area over the long-term between France and United Kingdom?
- 979 km² per grid cell, with France ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for France and United Kingdom?
- 108 years are reported by both, from 1000 to 2025.
- How do France and United Kingdom rank globally for urban area over the long-term?
- France ranks 10th and United Kingdom ranks 11th of 202 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Urban area over the long-term. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Total built-up area of a country over time.