Lifestyle and Leisure
Your life in France
In this short article, we profile some of those important things you need to know about France and what it has to offer a potential migrant
France
Population: 60,656,178
Capital: Paris
Life Expectancy: 79.6 years
Government: Republic
GDP per capita: $29,900
Unemployment: 10%
Currency: euro
Climate
Generally cool winters and mild summers, but mild winters and hot summers in the Mediterranean.
Expats
100,000 to 150,000 Brits
Jobs and Economy
The government is focusing on the problems of the high cost of labour and labour market inflexibility. Important industries include machinery, automobiles and tourism.
Education
The options for your child are to attend a local state school, a private school or one of the many bilingual schools.
Healthcare
Health care in France is provided by a range of public and private sector institutions. With patient expenses either paid directly or refunded by a Social Security insurance system.
Renting
This varies enormously between busy cities and rural areas. Normally a commitment of nine months is required.
Buying
Mortgages are dealt with by the local 'Notaire' or by esatate agents.
Tax
France does not have a PAYE system. Amounts automatically deducted from your gross salary are social contributions.