# Algeria and France compared

Algeria and France side by side: 42 shared sourced indicators across 9 domains, and the 9 events their chronicles record of each other.

Canonical: https://terralore.co/compare/dza-vs-fra
Updated: 2026-08-10 (latest of the two dossiers' refreshes and the two chronicles' verification dates)

Two sourced records set beside each other — nothing on this page was written for the pair. Every figure is the same observation, with the same source, as on the two national dossiers; every event is the same record, with the same sources, as on its own chronicle. Figures are compared, never graded. A "—" is an absence in the source data, never a zero; each value shows its own observation year — vintages differ by indicator and nation.

## Formation

- Algeria: 1516 — The Barbarossa brothers found the Regency of Algiers
- France: 10 August 843 — The Treaty of Verdun gives Charles the Bald West Francia

## Economy

| Metric | Algeria | Observed | France | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GDP | $269 B | 2024 | $3.16 T | 2024 |
| GDP per capita | $5,753 | 2024 | $46,103 | 2024 |
| GDP growth | 3.7% | 2024 | 1.2% | 2024 |
| Inflation | 4.0% | 2024 | 2.0% | 2024 |
| Trade openness | 40.1% | 2024 | 68.1% | 2024 |

## Society

| Metric | Algeria | Observed | France | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 47 m | 2024 | 69 m | 2024 |
| Life expectancy | 76.5 yrs | 2024 | 83.0 yrs | 2024 |
| Urban population | 75.3% | 2024 | 78.8% | 2024 |
| Fertility rate | 2.7 | 2024 | 1.6 | 2024 |

## Governance

| Metric | Algeria | Observed | France | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voice & accountability | 38.5 | 2024 | 77.0 | 2024 |
| Political stability | 54.0 | 2024 | 61.8 | 2024 |
| Government effectiveness | 46.5 | 2024 | 74.7 | 2024 |
| Regulatory quality | 43.0 | 2024 | 72.9 | 2024 |
| Rule of law | 45.0 | 2024 | 73.8 | 2024 |
| Control of corruption | 35.8 | 2024 | 72.5 | 2024 |

## Health

| Metric | Algeria | Observed | France | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health spending | 4.4% | 2023 | 11.5% | 2024 |
| Physicians | 1.66 | 2022 | 3.28 | 2022 |
| Under-5 mortality | 21.6 | 2024 | 4.3 | 2024 |
| Measles immunisation | 94.0% | 2024 | 95.0% | 2024 |
| Safe drinking water | 69.0% | 2024 | 99.7% | 2024 |

## Education

| Metric | Algeria | Observed | France | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adult literacy | 75.1% | 2008 | — | — |
| Education spending | 9.0% | 2024 | 5.3% | 2022 |
| Primary enrolment | 105.5% | 2025 | 103.4% | 2024 |
| Secondary enrolment | 105.2% | 2024 | 103.8% | 2024 |
| Tertiary enrolment | 54.4% | 2024 | 71.5% | 2024 |

## Technology

| Metric | Algeria | Observed | France | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R&D spending | 0.4% | 2024 | 2.2% | 2023 |
| Researchers (per million) | 1,764 | 2024 | 5,369 | 2023 |
| Internet users | 77.4% | 2024 | 88.7% | 2024 |
| Mobile subscriptions | 115 | 2024 | 117 | 2023 |
| High-tech exports | 1.0% | 2017 | 23.1% | 2024 |

## Geography

| Metric | Algeria | Observed | France | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Land area | 2,381,740 km² | 2023 | 538,950 km² | 2023 |
| Forest area | 0.8% | 2023 | 32.5% | 2023 |
| Agricultural land | 17.4% | 2023 | 52.5% | 2023 |
| CO₂ per capita (t) | 4.0 | 2024 | 4.0 | 2024 |
| Renewable energy | 0.1% | 2021 | 16.2% | 2021 |

## Resources

| Metric | Algeria | Observed | France | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resource rents | 22.6% | 2021 | 0.0% | 2021 |
| Oil rents | 14.5% | 2021 | 0.0% | 2021 |
| Mineral rents | 0.0% | 2021 | 0.0% | 2021 |
| Forest rents | 0.1% | 2021 | 0.0% | 2021 |
| Electricity access | 100.0% | 2023 | 100.0% | 2023 |
| Phosphate rock | 2.0 Mt | 2025 | — | — |

## Military

| Metric | Algeria | Observed | France | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Military burden | 8.0% | 2024 | 2.1% | 2024 |
| Defense spending | $22 B | 2024 | $65 B | 2024 |
| Armed forces | 326,000 | 2020 | 304,000 | 2020 |

Each metric is also ranked across all nations: https://terralore.co/rankings (markdown twins at /rankings/<metric>.md). Full dossiers: https://terralore.co/country/DZA.md and https://terralore.co/country/FRA.md.

## Entangled histories (9 events)

Events in which either nation's sourced chronicle names the other — including under earlier names of the same state. Each is the record exactly as its own chronicle carries it, with that chronicle's sources.

- 1827: **The "fly-whisk" incident** — A dispute over French debts ends with the dey of Algiers striking the French consul with a fly-whisk, a slight France later uses as a pretext for invasion. (from the Algeria chronicle; sources: France Conquers Algeria; History of Algeria)
- 5 July 1830: **France captures Algiers** — A French expeditionary force takes Algiers, ending the Ottoman regency and beginning 132 years of French rule in Algeria. (from the Algeria chronicle; sources: France Conquers Algeria; History of Algeria)
- 1832–1847: **Abd al-Qadir's resistance** — Proclaimed amir in 1832, Abd al-Qadir builds a state across much of Algeria and leads armed resistance to the French until his surrender in 1847. (from the Algeria chronicle; sources: Abdelkader; France Conquers Algeria)
- 1848: **Algeria annexed to France** — Algeria is organised into French départements and declared an integral part of France, opening the way to large-scale European settlement and land expropriation. (from the Algeria chronicle; sources: History of Algeria; French occupation of Algeria)
- 1 November 1954: **Toussaint Rouge: the war begins** — The FLN launches coordinated attacks across Algeria on 1 November 1954, opening the war of independence against French rule. (from the Algeria chronicle; sources: Algerian War; History of Algeria)
- 1956–1957: **Battle of Algiers** — A fierce urban campaign in the capital pits FLN cells against French paratroopers; the army's use of torture turns world opinion against the war. (from the Algeria chronicle; sources: Algerian War; The Algerian War of Independence)
- 1958: **The war topples the Fourth Republic** — The Algerian crisis brings down France's Fourth Republic and returns Charles de Gaulle to power, opening the way to eventual negotiations. (from the Algeria chronicle; sources: History of Algeria)
- 18 March 1962: **Évian Accords** — France and the FLN sign the Évian Accords, agreeing a ceasefire and a self-determination referendum that will lead to Algerian independence. (from the Algeria chronicle; sources: Algerian War; The Algerian War of Independence)
- 5 July 1962: **Independence proclaimed** — After a referendum on 1 July and French recognition on 3 July, Algeria proclaims its independence on 5 July 1962, ending 132 years of French rule. (from the Algeria chronicle; sources: A Guide to the United States' History of Recognition: Algeria; Ahmed Ben Bella)

## Sources

- World Development Indicators — World Bank · CC BY 4.0 · accessed 2026-06-14 · https://data.worldbank.org
- Worldwide Governance Indicators (via World Bank API) — Worldwide Governance Indicators / World Bank · CC BY 4.0 · accessed 2026-08-10 · https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/worldwide-governance-indicators
- Global Health Observatory (WHO, via World Bank WDI) — WHO / World Bank · CC BY 4.0 · accessed 2026-08-10 · https://www.who.int/data/gho
- Child mortality & immunisation estimates (UN IGME and WHO/UNICEF, via World Bank WDI) — UNICEF and WHO / World Bank · CC BY 4.0 · accessed 2026-08-10 · https://childmortality.org
- R&D statistics (UNESCO UIS, via World Bank WDI) — UNESCO Institute for Statistics / World Bank · CC BY 4.0 · accessed 2026-06-15 · https://uis.unesco.org
- ICT indicators (ITU, via World Bank WDI) — ITU / World Bank · CC BY 4.0 · accessed 2026-06-15 · https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics
- Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 — U.S. Geological Survey · Public domain (U.S. Government work) · accessed 2026-08-10 · https://www.usgs.gov/centers/national-minerals-information-center
- Military Expenditure Database (via World Development Indicators) — SIPRI / World Bank · CC BY 4.0 · accessed 2026-06-14 · https://www.sipri.org/databases/milex

Chronicle references are cited inline above and resolve in full at https://terralore.co/country/DZA/chronicle.md and https://terralore.co/country/FRA/chronicle.md.

Citation template: Terralore, "Algeria and France compared", terralore.co/compare/dza-vs-fra, retrieved <YYYY-MM-DD>.