France

=== Overview ===
[[File:04-2017. París-34.jpg|alt=La Défense, seen from the Eiffel Tower|thumb|[[La Défense]] was in 2017 ranked by [[Ernst & Young]] as the leading [[central business district]] in continental Europe, and the fourth in the world.<ref>[https://www.ey.com/Publication/vwLUAssets/ey-the-attractiveness-of-world-class-business-districts/$FILE/ey-the-attractiveness-of-world-class-business-districts.pdf The attractiveness of world-class business districts: Paris La Défense vs. its global competitors], [[Ernst & Young|EY]], November 2017</ref>]]France has a [[mixed economy|mixed market economy]], characterised by [[Dirigisme in France|sizeable government involvement]], and [[economic diversity]]. For roughly two centuries, the French economy has [[Angus Maddison statistics of the ten largest economies by GDP (PPP)|consistently ranked]] among the ten largest globally; it is currently the world's [[List of countries by GDP (PPP)|ninth-largest]] by [[purchasing power parity]], the [[List of countries by GDP (nominal)|seventh-largest]] by [[nominal GDP]], and the second-largest in the European Union by both metrics.<ref name="data.worldbank.org">{{Cite web |title=GDP, PPP (current international $) |url=http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.PP.CD?order=wbapi_data_value_2014+wbapi_data_value+wbapi_data_value-last&sort=desc |access-date=1 November 2015 |publisher=The World Bank Group}}</ref> France is considered an [[economic power]], with membership in the [[Group of Seven]] leading [[Developed country|industrialised countries]], the [[OECD|Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development]] (OECD), and the [[G20|Group of Twenty]] largest economies.

France's economy is highly diversified; [[Service sector|services]] represent two-thirds of both the workforce and GDP,<ref>[https://www.eulerhermes.com/en_global/economic-research/country-reports/France.html Country profile: France], [[Euler Hermes]]</ref> while the [[industrial sector]] accounts for a fifth of GDP and a similar proportion of employment. France is the third-biggest manufacturing country in Europe, behind Germany and Italy, and ranks eighth in the world by share of global manufacturing output, at 1.9 per cent.<ref>{{Cite web |title=These are the top 10 manufacturing countries in the world |url=https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/02/countries-manufacturing-trade-exports-economics/ |access-date=10 February 2022 |website=World Economic Forum |date=25 February 2020 |language=en}}</ref> Less than 2 per cent of GDP is generated by the [[primary sector]], namely agriculture;<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/france Country profil: France], [[CIA World factbook]]</ref> however, France's agricultural sector is among the largest in value and leads the EU in terms of overall production.<ref>[https://import-export.societegenerale.fr/en/country/france/market-sectors France: the market] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210219011017/https://import-export.societegenerale.fr/en/country/france/market-sectors |date=19 February 2021 }}, [[Société Générale]] (latest Update: September 2020)</ref>

In 2018, France was the fifth-largest trading nation in the world and the second-largest in Europe, with the value of exports representing over a fifth of GDP.<ref name="wto">[https://www.wto.org/english/res_e/statis_e/wts2019_e/wts2019_e.pdf World Trade Statistical Review 2019], [[World Trade Organization]], p. 11</ref> Its membership in the [[eurozone]] and the broader [[European single market]] facilitates access to capital, goods, services, and skilled labour.<ref name="euroc">{{Cite news |last=Andrews |first=Edmund L. |date=1 January 2002 |title=Germans Say Goodbye to the Mark, a Symbol of Strength and Unity |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/01/01/world/germans-say-goodbye-to-the-mark-a-symbol-of-strength-and-unity.html |access-date=18 March 2011}}</ref> Despite [[Protectionism|protectionist]] policies over certain industries, particularly in agriculture, France has generally played a leading role in fostering free trade and commercial integration in Europe to enhance its economy.<ref>{{Cite web |title=France – Finance |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/France |access-date=28 August 2021 |website=Encyclopedia Britannica |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Taylor Martin |first=Susan |date=28 December 1998 |title=On Jan.&nbsp;1, out of many arises one Euro |page=National, 1.A |work=[[St. Petersburg Times]]}}</ref> In 2019, it ranked first in Europe and 13th in the world in [[Foreign Direct Investment|foreign direct investment]], with European countries and the United States being leading sources.<ref name="FDI">[https://www.ey.com/en_gl/attractiveness/20/how-can-europe-reset-the-investment-agenda-now-to-rebuild-its-future How can Europe reset the investment agenda now to rebuild its future?], [[Ernst&Young|EY]], 28 May 2020</ref> According to the [[Bank of France]] (founded in 1800),<ref>{{Cite web |title=Welcome to the Banque de France website {{!}} Banque de France |url=https://www.banque-france.fr/en |access-date=2023-10-28 |website=www.banque-france.fr}}</ref> the leading recipients of FDI were manufacturing, real estate, finance and insurance.<ref name="lloydsbanktrade.com">{{Cite web |title=Foreign direct investment (FDI) in France – Investing – International Trade Portal International Trade Portal |url=https://www.lloydsbanktrade.com/en/market-potential/france/investment |access-date=28 August 2021 |website=lloydsbanktrade.com}}</ref> The [[Île-de-France|Paris Region]] has the highest concentration of multinational firms in Europe.<ref name="lloydsbanktrade.com"/>

Under the doctrine of [[Dirigiste|''Dirigisme'']], the government historically played a major role in the economy; policies such as [[indicative planning]] and [[Nationalization|nationalisation]] are credited for contributing to three decades of unprecedented postwar economic growth known as ''[[Trente Glorieuses]]''. At its peak in 1982, the public sector accounted for one-fifth of industrial employment and over four-fifths of the credit market. Beginning in the late 20th century, France loosened regulations and state involvement in the economy, with most leading companies now being privately owned; state ownership now dominates only transportation, defence and broadcasting.<ref>{{Cite web |title=France – Economy |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/France |access-date=28 August 2021 |website=Encyclopedia Britannica |language=en}}</ref> Policies aimed at promoting economic dynamism and privatisation have improved France's economic standing globally: it is among the world's 10 most [[Innovation|innovative]] countries in the 2020 [[Bloomberg Innovation Index]],<ref>[https://www.businessinsider.com/these-are-the-10-most-innovative-countries-bloomberg-says-2020-1?IR=T These are the world's most innovative countries], [[Business Insider]]</ref> and the 15th most competitive, according to the 2019 [[Global Competitiveness Report#2019 rankings|Global Competitiveness Report]] (up two places from 2018).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_TheGlobalCompetitivenessReport2019.pdf|title=The Global Competitiveness Report 2019}}</ref>

The Paris stock exchange ({{Lang-fr|links=no|La Bourse de Paris}}) is one of the oldest in the world, created by [[Louis XV]] in 1724.<ref>{{Cite news |first=Audrey |last=Vautherot |date=19 November 2007 |title=La Bourse de Paris : une institution depuis 1724 |trans-title=The Paris Stock Exchange: an institution since 1724 |url=http://www.gralon.net/articles/economie-et-finance/bourse/article-la-bourse-de-paris---une-institution-depuis-1724-981.htm |website=Gralon |language=fr}}</ref> In 2000, it merged with counterparts in Amsterdam and Brussels to form [[Euronext]],<ref name="banque">{{Cite web |author=Embassy of France |title=Embassy of France in Washington: Economy of France |url=http://www.ambafrance-us.org/spip.php?article511 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111009235442/http://ambafrance-us.org/spip.php?article511 |archive-date=9 October 2011 |access-date=16 July 2011 |publisher=Ambafrance-us.org}}</ref> which in 2007 merged with the [[New York stock exchange]] to form [[NYSE Euronext]], the world's largest stock exchange.<ref name="banque"/> [[Euronext Paris]], the French branch of NYSE Euronext, is Europe's second-largest stock exchange market, behind the [[London Stock Exchange]]. Some examples of the most valuable French companies include [[LVMH]], [[L'Oréal]] and [[Société Générale|Sociéte Générale.]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=French companies by market capitalization |url=https://companiesmarketcap.com/france/largest-companies-in-france-by-market-cap/ |access-date=2023-10-29 |website=companiesmarketcap.com |language=en-us}}</ref>

France has historically been one of the world's major agricultural centres and remains a "global agricultural powerhouse"; France is the world's sixth-biggest exporter of agricultural products, generating a trade surplus of over €7.4 billion.<ref name="agriculture">{{Cite web |title=France&nbsp;– Agriculture |url=http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/economies/Europe/France-AGRICULTURE.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110104104316/http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/economies/Europe/France-AGRICULTURE.html |archive-date=4 January 2011 |website=Nations Encyclopedia}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Country Memo – France |url=https://globaledge.msu.edu/countries/france/memo/ |website=globalEDGE}}</ref> Nicknamed "the granary of the old continent",<ref>{{Cite web |title=Topic: Agriculture in France |url=https://www.statista.com/topics/6215/agriculture-in-france/ |access-date=13 January 2022 |website=Statista |language=en}}</ref> over half its total land area is [[Agricultural land|farmland]], of which 45 per cent is devoted to permanent field crops such as cereals. The country's diverse climate, extensive arable land, modern farming technology, and [[Common agricultural policy|EU subsidies]] have made it Europe's leading agricultural producer and exporter.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Key figures of the French economy |url=http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/france_159/economy_6815/overview-of-the-french-economy_6831/key-figures-of-the-french-economy_1402.html#sommaire_1 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100114024542/http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/france_159/economy_6815/overview-of-the-french-economy_6831/key-figures-of-the-french-economy_1402.html |archive-date=14 January 2010 |website=France Diplomatie |publisher=[[Minister of Foreign Affairs (France)|French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs]] |quote=France is the world's fifth largest exporter of goods (mainly durables). The country ranks fourth in services and third in agriculture (especially in cereals and the agri-food sector). It is the leading producer and exporter of farm products in Europe.}}</ref>