French economic attractiveness in 2020 (10 December 2020)

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According to the “France Attractiveness Scoreboard 2020”, France has maintained its position as leading host country for European investment, R&D activities and industrial investments. The study also shows France’s attractiveness in terms of the digital economy, the fight against climate change, access to capital and cost of labour.

The “France Attractiveness Scoreboard 2020” released today by Business France and the French Treasury Directorate features a wide range of economic data relating to France’s attractiveness, based on a comparison of 13 countries.

Solid structural strengths

This new edition clearly underlines the solidity of France’s key strengths, such as infrastructure, telecommunications, employee productivity, the cost of electricity, not to mention its market potential, thanks to its geographic position in Europe and the size of its domestic market.

These strengths have enabled France to become the leading host country for European investments, ahead of the United Kingdom and Germany. In the new global equation that could emerge, it is of great significance that France is both the leading host country for R&D activities and industrial investments in Europe.

An effective policy to support companies in the face of Covid-19

Thanks to a proactive policy and an effective response to the Covid-19 pandemic, France has demonstrated its ability to support its economic base and quickly regain economic growth. In 2020, there was a strong rebound in activity (+18.7%) in the third quarter, compared with +9% for OECD countries. France has stepped up its actions to transform the economy, reflected by the implementation of the “Relaunch France” plan, which has drawn on a wide range of resources to support investment, innovation and the modernization of French industry.

“A quick economic response to this global pandemic has been essential. Having an exit strategy from this crisis is also crucial. The “Relaunch France” plan announced last September invests in everything required to create the economy and jobs of tomorrow: the ecological transition, industrial production, technological innovation and vocational training. We also plan to create new sectors of excellence in areas such as biotechnology and carbon-free energies. This plan will enable us to further strengthen France’s attractiveness and make France a leader in all the sectors of the future,” said Bruno Le Maire, Minister for the Economy, Finance and the Recovery

France meeting the expectations of foreign investors

This France Attractiveness Scoreboard 2020 demonstrates that France has met the expectations of foreign investors surveyed recently, particularly in terms of the following:

  • Increasing the digitization of the economy,
  • The fight against climate change,
  • Access to capital,
  • Reducing the cost of labor.

Source: Business France press release, “France’s solid key strengths have led to increased attractiveness”