It is sometimes overlooked that France is one of the largest and wealthiest countries in the world. France is actually the second largest economy in Europe (after Germany) and the fifth in the world. The country is also Europe’s second largest consumer market, with 65 million inhabitants, and the world’s leading tourist destination, with 80 million visitors per year. France also benefits from strong population growth, demonstrated political and financial stability and a real estate market that is among the most transparent in the world.

Demographics

While fertility rates have dropped in most of Europe as well as in the United States since the global financial crisis, France’s birth rate has instead climbed to the highest in Europe at 2.01 children per woman, and higher by far than Germany, where the birth rate has fallen to 1.36. As a result, the population of France is expected to grow by roughly 2.5 million over the next 10 years, while Germany