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Local France
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Local France
Diets, TV and love: How the average Frenchman or Frenchwoman really lives
French is a good country when it comes to statistics - its population is regularly surveyed and polled, and the national statistics agency Insee does a good job of making data public. Which means that we can build a good picture of how the average Frenchman and Frenchwoman live their lives. With the obvious caveat that an average won't apply to the entire 67-million strong population, here's how the modern Frenchie lives, loves and laughs. Age and children The average (mean) age for Frenchmen in 2025 is 41.3, while the average Frenchwoman is 44.1. The population as a whole is getting older - back in 2014 the average man was 39.3, and the average woman was 42.1. Those average-age people aren't worrying about death any time soon - the average Frenchman has a life expectancy of 80, while women can expect to live to be 85.7. Advertisement They might be looking ahead to retirement, though - in 2021 the average retirement age in France was 63.1. The pension age is something of a political hot potato in France , it is currently gradually rising from 62 to 64 after Emmanuel Macron pushed through highly contentious reforms to the pension system. That age is when people most people can start to collect their pensions - lower pension ages exist for people in physically strenuous jobs, meanwhile some people enjoy work and choose to stay in the workforce past the legal pension age. Current prime minister François Bayrou is 74, while Senate leader Gérard Larcher is 75. Nevertheless, most people retire at or near the official pension age, with an average retirement age of 63.1 - giving an average retirement of 22.6 years for women and 16.9 years for men. At the other end of the life cycle, the average family size in France is now 1.6 children per couple, a fall from 2.0 in 2024. The average age of a French first-time mum is 29. While some people are choosing not to have children at all, smaller family sizes are the norm even for people who do have kids - a survey in 2024 found that the average 'ideal number of children' per family was 2.3, compared to 2.7 in 1998. Money The average French person is an employee, and not a well-paid one. Data from 2023 shows that 26.9 million French people work as salaried employees, while just 3.3 million are fully self-employed. Insee's 2023 data shows that the average full-time employee in the private sector earns €2,730 net per month, while the average public sector employee earns €2,600 net per month (although that falls to €2,340 if we take out relatively well-paid medics). Advertisement Of those 27 million employees, more than half - 17 million - are earning the minimum wage ( le smic ) of €1,426 net per month (€21,621.60 per year pre tax or €17,115.69 after tax). The most common job among men is being a driver - comprising bus drivers and hauliers but not couriers - while women are most likely to be teachers. France has a decent number of people out of the workforce - from a population of 67 million only 30.8 million are classed as 'economically active' - the rest are either children, pensioners (roughly 25 percent of the population, or 16.7 million people, are retired), job-seekers, students or not working for other reasons (eg stay-at-home parents or people with an illness or disability that leaves them unable to work). This large non-working population means that France can come out quite badly on international comparisons of work and productivity - although if you analyse the work done by the working population France come out higher than the European average, and even higher than the Germans . The average work week in France is 39.6 hours. Advertisement Education The average French person does not have a university degree - although only just. Across the entire population 45 percent of people have a degree while 55 percent of people don't. Higher education also contributes to late entry into the workforce - the average age for getting a first job in France is 19. A relatively generous grant system coupled with low tuition fees means that many students do not need to get part-time jobs while they are studying. Love life The average French person lives with a spouse or partner, although those living alone is a fast-growing group that is predicted to become the norm within the next few decades. At present France has a population of 67 million people living in 30.3 million households - a household includes couples, single parents living with children, house-shares or inter-generational family living. Advertisement Insee's most recent detailed breakdown of family living situations is from 2016 and it shows that half of the population of France is living with a partner - 25.5 percent of households are a couple without children, 25.3 percent are a couple with children. However 35.8 percent of households consist of a single person, while 9 percent are single-parent families and the remaining 4.4 percent are 'complex households' that don't fit in to the above patterns - that would include house-shares and homes where multiple generations are living together. The number of households is growing in France as more and more people choose to live alone - it is projected that there will be 32 million households in 2050, even though the population is not set to grow. But the average French person is not married - data from 2023 shows that just 42 percent of the population of France is married, with that number falling below the 50 percent bar in 2008 and continuing to decline - despite the fact that in 2024 24,000 weddings took place. The average age at marriage is also steadily rising, reaching 37.3 years for women and 39.8 years for men in 2022. Advertisement Of those who do choose to formalise their relationship, most (72 percent) opt for marriage with just eight percent choosing a civil partnership (Pacs), and most couples are opposite sex - in 2022 same-sex partnerships accounted for three percent of weddings and five percent of civil partnerships (Pacs). Your average French person is likely to have had sex at least once in the last year - but overall the population is getting less sexually active. In 2023, 77.2 percent of women aged 18 to 69 reported having sexual intercourse in the past year, a fall from 84 percent in 1992. In the same year 81.6 percent of men in the same age bracket said they had had sex - down from 92 percent in 1992. Crucially, women report being happier with the amount of sex that they are having. READ ALSO : Revealed - the real sex lives of the French✎ Lifestyle The average Frenchie is an urban creature - 79.2 percent of the population lives in towns. In total 10.7 million people live in Paris and its suburbs while 16 million people live in another large town such as Bordeaux, Marseille or Lyon (between 200,000 and 1.9 million inhabitants). Around 14 million people live in the country while the remaining 27 million live in smaller towns. The average household has 99 electrical appliances, six of which will be unused according to an in-depth survey done by an anti-waste charity in collaboration with the government's Ademe environment agency. The living room has the most appliances (24), followed by the bedroom with 22, the cellar, bathroom and other ancillary rooms (laundry room, storeroom etc) are next, with around 10 appliances followed by the attic (6) and the garden/terrace/balcony (3). The average French person has at least one holiday a year, although 40 percent of people surveyed said that they don't go away on holiday at least once, for financial reasons. When they turn on the TV, their choice will be quiz shows or reality TV - data on the most-watched programmes in 2024 (excluding special events like sports matches) showed that the daytime quiz show Les Douze Coups de Midi was the most-watched programme, followed by the reality TV shows Koh-Lanta and L'amour est dans le pré . Neither of them smoke - despite its smokey image, just 31.8 percent of French people actually smoke. Advertisement Food and drink You might imagine your average Frenchie feasting on French classics like coq au vin , but in fact for several years running the winner of the annual survey ' le plat préféres des français' (France's favourite dish), has been the North African staple of tagine and cous cous that is widely available at inexpensive restaurants in almost every French town. In 2025, the survey tried to ring the changes by asking respondents which dish best 'represents France to the world' - and the classic beef stew boeuf bourguignon came out top. A survey on the most-consumed dishes in France found that poulet rôti et frites (roast chicken and chips) came out on top, followed by cassoulet, pizza and then cous cous. Don't assume your Frenchman or Frenchwoman is drinking wine either - just one in 10 people in France drink alcohol every day and wine consumption dropped from 120 litres per year in 1980 to 40 litres per year in 2019. READ ALSO : ANALYSIS: Why the French are drinking less and less wine✎ They're highly likely to be eating bread though - some 10 billion baguettes are consumed every year in France - that's 320 every second. The average So there you have it - your average Frenchman is 41.3 years old and works as a driver - he'll work another 21.8 years and then retire, after which he'll live for another 16.9 years. He lives in a town with a female partner to whom he is not married and together they have 1.6 children. He will have had sex at least once within the last year (with his partner? Who can say, the data is not that detailed) and likes to eat cous cous . Your average Frenchwoman is 44.1 and is a teacher, a job she will stay in for another 19 years before enjoying 22.6 years of retirement. She lives with a male partner, she had her first child at the age of 29 and lives in a home with 99 electrical appliances. In her spare time she likes watching quiz shows and reality TV and she has at least one holiday per year. She eats bread every day. A note on the data Unless otherwise stated, all data comes from the French national statistics agency Insee. It includes mainland France and the French overseas territories, with the exception of Mayotte, and counts anyone legally resident in France, even if they are not French citizens.
NZ Herald
4 days ago
- Sport
- NZ Herald
All Blacks player ratings: How they rated in third-test win over France
13.) Anton Lienert-Brown – 8 Stalwart clocked up his 85th test, running on home soil, returning after 12 weeks with a crocked collarbone. Put his body straight back into the fray with grunty short-game work. Crucial try to end first half highlighted his strength and smarts. 12.) Quinn Tupaea – 6 Human battering ram battered away — he's at his best blazing on to his first-five's shoulder. A couple of handling errors. 11.) Sevu Reece – 7 Worked hard in his return after unlucky head knock in first minute of series. Brought trademark dash and hustled smartly for chances. Sevu Reece on the charge against France in Hamilton. Photo / Dean Purcell 10.) Damian McKenzie – 6 Organised well and was able to get his team in the right areas of the park. 9.) Cortez Ratima – 5 Produced a smart rolling boot for Will Jordan's try but sometimes seemed in two minds when delivering the ball from fast breakdowns. Halfback delivery seemed snappier when Hotham came on. 8.) Ardie Savea (c) – 5 A chip-and-chase 10m out from your own tryline? France were grateful for the three-pointer that followed; and again a few minutes later when he spilled the ball in his next carry in his own 22. First half was possibly one of his wobbliest in black. The Ardie we know so well — all leg strength, dash and breakdown bustle — returned in the second spell. Finished the match with the most carries (21). Ardie Savea takes the ball up against France, in Hamilton. Photo / Photosport 7.) Du'Plessis Kirifi – 7 Hurricanes skipper stepped up nicely following late call to the starting ranks. Loose pass in 13th minute hot on attack led to defensive scramble. In the second half, his old-fashioned breakdown skills came to the fore. Smart work to put himself in place to grab a crucial try. Another whose game improved as the night went on. Du'Plessis Kirifi goes over for a vital All Blacks try against France, in Hamilton. Photo / Dean Purcell 6.) Samipeni Finau – 6 Finally gets a chance to show his goods in the No 6 jersey after watching Chiefs teammate Tupou Vai'i impress in opening tests. Handled plenty and was accurate without being able to physically dominate the big Frenchmen. 5.) Fabian Holland – 8 Tallest timber on show at 2.04m, his giant frame looks even bigger in the black jersey. The Dutchman has been the find of the series for Razor. 4.) Patrick Tuipulotu (vc) – 8 Phenomenal effort from ABs locking duo who each played full match. The Blues skipper showed he has much to offer to a team that occasionally needs serious grunt work. 3.) Tyrel Lomax – 6 Returning from injury, he didn't get many carries. 2.) Samisoni Taukei'aho – 7 First lineout of the night went too long but the rest were better as he capitalised on hitting the taller locks. Contributed mightily with ball in hand. 1.) Ethan de Groot – 8 Handled the pill and bashed away well in an impressive first-half display. That half-chance try would have been well deserved. Reserves: Brodie McAlister – 7 George Bower – 7 Fletcher Newell – 8 Dalton Papali'i – 7 Christian Lio-Willie – NA Noah Hotham – 7 Timoci Tavatavanawai – 5 Jordie Barrett – 8
Otago Daily Times
04-07-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Robertson wary of unpredictability of French
Scott Robertson unintentionally gave All Blacks fans the perfect analogy to consider ahead of a test in Dunedin that could have wildly different outcomes. Robertson was asked this week how his team would approach tonight's clash with France, the first of three, at Forsyth Barr Stadium. The second-year All Blacks coach furrowed his brow and trained his intense eyes on the questioner before summing up the situation. "You just want to start well, and I think that's important as a group. "There's always going to be a storyline, depending on what happens after the first or second game, so we want to write the story early and get into it." And what will that story be? Will it be the newish-looking All Blacks letting rip in the first test of the season and scoring some cracking tries under the roof? Will it be an echo of the past few tests in Dunedin and feature a rather underwhelming performance by the men in black that ends with a squeaky win? Or, merde, will it be some sort of Stephen King horror tale, that of a written-off bunch of plucky Frenchmen shocking the mighty All Blacks with an upset from the ends of the earth? This first chapter of Scott Robertson: Book Two rests so much on the great unknown of what to expect from a French team shorn of most of their leading players thanks to workload concerns. The facts do not lie — this is a vastly under-strength visiting team, and the All Blacks will start as almost unbackable favourites — but Robertson, as he must, is wary of what world rugby's most unpredictable nation will deliver. "They've got a blend of experience and also the youth. And it can be dangerous when expectations are off a little bit. "They can turn up, and we give full respect to whoever is put in front of us on Saturday." French rugby had a "clear DNA", Robertson said. "We learned that last year, and nothing's really changed. "They're a very good territory team, they put pressure on you, they keep you on your back fence as much as they possibly can, and they force errors. "They can also get the ball away and they're quick and they've got speed and youth." The All Blacks can never take any test or series lightly. That is the reality of being expected to win, all the time and every time, and a convincing performance is especially important given the All Blacks were underwhelming at times in Robertson's first year. Nevertheless, a July series against a depleted French team is the ideal opportunity to blood some newcomers, to build depth and to answer some lingering questions surrounding certain positions. Popular Highlanders lock Fabian Holland and Otago No 8 Christian Lio-Willie are the fresh faces in the starting XV, and forwards Ollie Norris and Du'Plessis Kirifi will look to impress Robertson from the bench. "They're all hungry, so that's a great thing. "They're excited, you know. "They're into their homework, they've connected with the group. You have to pull them off the computers a little bit because they're pretty keen to do all the right stuff." The best thing about being on debut is that you get the closest thing to a free pass in terms of your performance. There is not quite the same latitude extended to some relative veterans in various positions. Much interest will focus on how Rieko Ioane performs in his return to wing from centre, and on whether a seasoned Beauden Barrett is starting a long final phase of his All Blacks career as the best option at No 10, and on how Tupou Vaa'i enjoys a run at blindside flank. Significantly — and this appears to have gone almost entirely unnoticed — there will be some acid on props Ethan de Groot and Fletcher Newell to step up in the absence of first-choice bookends Tamaiti Williams and Tyrel Lomax. Not many French teams, after all, lack fire in the front row. Neither Robertson nor the All Blacks need the first chapter of the season to be a difficult scene-setter. They would love a start that hooks us immediately, a gutsy middle with plenty of action, and a triumphant finish before moving on to part two in Wellington.
The Hindu
28-06-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
French striker Olivier Giroud parts ways with MLS club LAFC after disappointing year
Olivier Giroud is parting ways with Los Angeles FC after one disappointing year with the Major League Soccer (MLS) club. The 38-year-old Giroud and LAFC announced the decision on Friday on social media. He will play in his final match on Sunday night at home against Vancouver. After scoring only five goals in 37 matches for LAFC, Giroud will become a free agent after his departure. He is widely expected to join Lille, which finished fifth in the French league last season, on a free transfer. 'I want to thank all of the fans, my teammates and the staff at LAFC for making this an enjoyable stop in my career,' Giroud said in a statement. 'I am happy to have played a part in the success of LAFC. From winning a trophy last season to participating in the Club World Cup, this has been a great experience in LA for me and my family.' Giroud joined LAFC in July 2024 as a designated player after a long European career highlighted by prolific tenures with Arsenal and Chelsea. The top goal-scorer in the history of France's national team was expected to provide dynamic offense alongside MLS stars and fellow Frenchmen Denis Bouanga and Hugo Lloris. Instead, Giroud clearly struggled to adapt to the MLS game and to LAFC's counter-attacking style under coach Steve Cherundolo. LAFC also failed to figure out ways to involve Giroud in the offense consistently, unable to provide service to one of the sport's most dangerous finishers earlier in his career. Giroud usually played as a substitute for LAFC, and he didn't score his first MLS goal until last April 19. He did find the net in big moments, scoring in the US Open Cup final last season and in the Leagues Cup final. 'Olivier has been an exemplary professional during his time at LAFC,' general manager John Thorrington said. 'He brought humility and a winning mentality that helped elevate everyone around him. Olivier has been a tremendous ambassador for the club on and off the field. We are grateful for his contributions.' LAFC is suddenly a team in full transition after a winless three-game run at the Club World Cup earlier this month. Cherundolo already has announced he will leave the club to move back to Germany after the season, and LAFC could be down to Bouanga as its only designated player by next month. LAFC added Dutch winger Javairô Dilrosun on loan from Club América earlier this month, but the loan is only through July 24. Dilrosun replaced Cengiz Ünder, whose disappointing MLS tenure ended this month. LAFC's lengthy pursuit of Antoine Griezmann also came up fruitless earlier this month when the French star extended his contract with Atlético Madrid through 2027. LAFC (7-4-5) still sits sixth in the Western Conference standings with two or three games in hand on every club above it, and it has an infusion of cash from beating América in a play-in match to reach the Club World Cup.
Los Angeles Times
27-06-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Olivier Giroud parting ways with LAFC after disappointing stint with team
Olivier Giroud is parting ways with LAFC after one disappointing year with the club. The 38-year-old Giroud and LAFC announced the decision Friday on social media. He will play in his final match Sunday night at home against Vancouver. After scoring only five goals in 37 matches for LAFC, Giroud will become a free agent after his departure. He is widely expected to join Lille, which finished fifth in the French league last season, on a free transfer. 'I want to thank all of the fans, my teammates and the staff at LAFC for making this an enjoyable stop in my career,' Giroud said in a statement. 'I am happy to have played a part in the success of LAFC. From winning a trophy last season to participating in the Club World Cup, this has been a great experience in LA for me and my family.' Giroud joined LAFC in July 2024 as a designated player after a long European career highlighted by prolific tenures with Arsenal and Chelsea. The top goal-scorer in the history of France's national team was expected to provide dynamic offense alongside MLS stars and fellow Frenchmen Denis Bouanga and Hugo Lloris. Instead, Giroud clearly struggled to adapt to the MLS game and to LAFC's counter-attacking style under coach Steve Cherundolo. LAFC also failed to figure out ways to involve Giroud in the offense consistently, unable to provide service to one of the sport's most dangerous finishers earlier in his career. Giroud usually played as a substitute for LAFC, and he didn't score his first MLS goal until last April 19. He did find the net in big moments, scoring in the U.S. Open Cup final last season and in the Leagues Cup final. 'Olivier has been an exemplary professional during his time at LAFC,' general manager John Thorrington said. 'He brought humility and a winning mentality that helped elevate everyone around him. Olivier has been a tremendous ambassador for the club on and off the field. We are grateful for his contributions.' LAFC is suddenly a team in full transition after a winless three-game run at the Club World Cup earlier this month. Cherundolo already has announced he will leave the club to move back to Germany after the season, and LAFC could be down to Bouanga as its only designated player by next month. LAFC added Dutch winger Javairô Dilrosun on loan from Club América earlier this month, but the loan is only through July 24. Dilrosun replaced Cengiz Ünder, whose disappointing MLS tenure ended this month. LAFC's lengthy pursuit of Antoine Griezmann also came up fruitless earlier this month when the French star extended his contract with Atlético Madrid through 2027. LAFC (7-4-5) still sits sixth in the Western Conference standings with two or three games in hand on every club above it, and it has an infusion of cash from beating América in a play-in match to reach the Club World Cup. Beacham writes for the Associated Press.
