France

One of the most technically advanced nations in the world, France has a per capita income of $29,600 and ranks as the 27th richest nation. The United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) Human Development Report ranks France 16th of 177 nations on overall quality-of-life issues. France has an enormous national budget, and the tax burden is heavy. The process of privatizing is ongoing, and the government continues to maintain control of several mega businesses, including Air France, France Telecom, Renault, and Thales.

Unemployment hovers at 10 percent and is heavily correlated with the poverty rate of 6.5 percent. France ranks 32.7 on the Gini inequality index, with the richest 10 percent of the population claiming 25.1 percent of resources and the poorest 10 percent holding on to only 2.8 percent. The population of 60,876,136 experiences [Page 687]a life expectancy of 79.73 years, with females outliving males an average of eight years. Virtually all of the relevant population is enrolled in primary and secondary school. Safe drinking water and improved sanitation are universally available.

France is one of the most technically advanced nations in the world and ranks 27th in terms of income, and has a relatively low incidence of death from heart disease when compared with other industrialized nations.

France spends an average of 16 percent of the total budget on healthcare. Just over ten percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is used to finance healthcare programs, and $2,902 (international dollars) is allotted per capita. The French government accounts for 76.3 percent of all health spending, and 96.7 percent of that amount is earmarked for social security. The private sector provides 23.7 percent of total health spending with out-of-pocket expenses comprising 43.20 percent of private expenditures. There are 3.37 physicians, 7.24 nurses, 0.26 midwives, 0.68 dentists, and 1.06 pharmacists per 1,000 population in France.

Social security covers all employed individuals, but some groups such as railroad and mining employees and farmers are covered under special systems.

Nonworking heads of household, the unemployed who serve as adult care givers, and French citizens who live abroad may opt to be covered under the pension. In addition to elderly benefits, the system provides assistance, including a family allowance, to single parents. Social security is financed through employee and employer contributions and supplemented by the government. A separate program for sickness and maternity benefits is responsible for benefits to the disabled and survivors. Significantly ill persons may receive half of their salaries for up to a period of six months. If a condition is chronic, coverage is extended to three years. Pregnant women on maternity leave earn full salary for six weeks before and 18 weeks after giving birth. Adjustments are made for subsequent and multiple births. Adoptive parents receive the same benefits in the postpartum period as do other mothers.

Teen pregnancy is a major problem in France, and between 3,000 and 4,000 girls under the age of [Page 688]16 become pregnant each year. From 700 to 1,000 of those pregnancies are terminated in any given year. To combat this problem, the government has launched a public awareness program and now requires compulsory education in all schools, colleges, and handicapped facilities. Overall birth rates began to climb in 2001, partly because of an increase in the number of multiple births. Three-fourths of French females report that they use some method of birth control, and French women currently give birth at a rate of 1.84 children each. Only one percent of births occur outside the presence of trained medical personnel, and 99 percent of women receive antenatal care. The maternal mortality rate of ten deaths per 100,000 live births has remained stable in recent years.

...