Location of France

France is a country whose territory consists of metropolitan France in western Europe, as well as several overseas regions and territories. A member of the Group of 7 (formerly G8) leading industrialised countries, as of 2014, it is ranked as the world's ninth-largest and the EU's second-largest economy by purchasing power parity.[1] With 31 of the 500 biggest companies in the world in 2015, France ranks fourth in the Fortune Global 500, ahead of Germany and the UK.[2] According to the World Trade Organization (WTO), in 2009 France was the world's sixth-largest exporter and the fourth-largest importer of manufactured goods.[3][4]

French companies have maintained key positions in the insurance and banking industries: Axa is the world's largest insurance company. The leading French banks are BNP Paribas and the Crédit agricole, ranking as the world's largest and sixth-largest banks in 2010[5] (by assets), while the Société Générale group was ranked the world's eighth-largest in 2009.

For further information on the types of business entities in this country and their abbreviations, see "Business entities in France".

Largest firms

See also: List of largest French companies

This list shows firms in the Fortune Global 500, which ranks firms by total revenues reported before 31 March 2017.[6] Only the top five firms (if available) are included as a sample.

Rank Image Name 2016 revenues (USD $M) Employees Notes
25 Axa $143,722 97,707 Paris-based multinational insurance firm diversified into investments and other financial services. Notable subsidiaries include Axa UK, Axa Ireland, Axa PPP Healthcare, Axa Bank Europe, Axa Equitable Life Insurance Company (USA), and Ardian.
30 TotalEnergies $127,925 102,168 Multinational integrated crude oil and natural gas company, including exploration, production, power generation, transportation, refining, marketing, and international oil and product trading.
43 BNP Paribas $109,026 184,839 International banking group and one of the largest banks in the world. Currently serves more than 30 million customers in four primary domestic markets: France, Belgium, Italy and Luxembourg.
67 Carrefour $87,112 384,151 French multinational retailer which operates one of the largest hypermarket chains in the world. The firm is headquartered in Boulogne-Billancourt.
80 Crédit Agricole $80,258 70,830 international full-service banking group based on a network of cooperative and mutual banks. The firm has a historical foundation based in farming.

Notable firms

This list includes notable companies with primary headquarters located in the country. The industry and sector follow the Industry Classification Benchmark taxonomy. Organizations which have ceased operations are included and noted as defunct.

Notable companies
     Active      State-owned      Defunct
Name Industry Sector Headquarters Founded Notes
Accor Consumer services Hospitality Paris 1967 Hotels
Aéropostale Consumer services Airlines Toulouse 1918 Aviation, defunct 1933
Aérospatiale-Matra Industrials Defense Paris[7] 1999 Military contractor, defunct 2000
Air France–KLM Consumer services Airlines Tremblay-en-France 2004 Aviation
Airbus Industrials Aerospace Toulouse 1970 Aeronautical products
Air Liquide Industrial Chemical Paris 1902 Industrial gas
Alcatel-Lucent Technology Telecommunications equipment Boulogne-Billancourt 2006 Defunct 2016, now part of Nokia (Finland)
Ales Groupe Consumer goods Personal products Paris 1969 Cosmetics
Alstom Industrials Railroads Saint-Ouen 1928 Railway transport
Altran Industrials Business support services Paris 1982 Engineering consulting, part of Capgemini
Amaury Sport Organisation Consumer services Recreational services Issy-les-Moulineaux 1992[8] Sports events, part of Éditions Philippe Amaury
ArianeGroup Industrials Aerospace & defense Issy-les-Moulineaux 2015 Aerospace, defense and security, joint venture between Airbus and Safran
Arianespace Industrials Aerospace Courcouronnes 1980 Commercial launch provider, part of ArianeGroup
Arkane Studios Technology Software Lyon 1999 Video games
Arte Consumer services Broadcasting & entertainment Strasburg 1991 French - German television
Astrium Industrials Aerospace Paris 2006 Aerospace manufacturer, defunct 2013
AT Internet Technology Internet Bordeaux 1995 Web analytics
Atari SA Technology Software Paris 1983 Video games, formerly known as Infogrames
Atisreal Financials Real estate services Levallois-Perret 2003 Property consultancy, defunct 2009
Atos Technology Software Bezons 1988 Software and IT consulting
Auchan Consumer services Food retailers & wholesalers Croix 1961 Retail food, supermarkets
Axa Financials Full line insurance Paris 1817 Life, property insurance
Babolat Consumer goods Recreational products Lyon 1875 Sports equipment
Baccarat Consumer goods Durable household products Paris 1764 Glassware, fine crystal
Banijay Consumer services Broadcasting & entertainment Paris 2008 Film and TV production and distribution
Banque de l'Indochine Financials Banks Paris 1875 Defunct 1974, now part of Crédit Agricole
Bel Group Consumer goods Food products Paris 1865 Cheese
BNP Paribas Financials Banks Paris 1848 Banking group
Bolloré Industrials Delivery services Puteaux 1822 Logistics
Bonduelle Consumer goods Food products Villeneuve d'Ascq 1853 Food
Bouygues Telecom Telecommunications Mobile telecommunications Paris 1994 Part of Bouygues
Bouygues Conglomerates - Paris 1952 Telecommunications, industrials, travel & leisure
Brittany Ferries Industrials Marine transportation Roscoff 1972 Ferries
Bugatti Automobiles Consumer goods Automobiles Molsheim 1998 Part of Bugatti Rimac (Croatia)
Canal+ Consumer services Broadcasting & entertainment Issy-les-Moulineaux 1984 Television, part of Vivendi
Capgemini Industrials Business support services Paris 1967 Technology consulting
Carrefour Consumer services Food retailers & wholesalers Boulogne-Billancourt 1958 Hypermarkets
Cartier Consumer goods Clothing & accessories Saint-Ouen 1847 Jewelry, watches
Celio Consumer services Apparel retailers Paris 1978 Clothing retailer
Chanel Consumer goods Clothing & accessories Neuilly-sur-Seine 1909 Fashion
Chantelle Consumer goods Clothing & accessories Cachan 1876 Lingerie, apparel
Christian Dior SE Consumer goods Clothing & accessories Paris 1946 Luxury goods
Citroën Consumer goods Automobiles Rueil-Malmaison 1919 Part of Stellantis (Netherlands)
CMA CGM Industrials Delivery services Marseille 1978 Shipping
Com One group Technology Telecommunications equipment Cestas 1987


Crédit Agricole Financials Banks Montrouge 1894 Banking network
Crédit Commercial de France Financials Banks Paris 1894 Commercial bank, now HSBC France part of HSBC (UK)
Crédit Mutuel Financials Banks Paris 1882 Banking group
Conforama Consumer services Retail Saint-Priest 1967 Europe's second largest home furnishment company
Crédit Foncier de France Financials Banks Charenton-le-Pont 1852 Bank, part of Groupe BPCE
Crédit Lyonnais Financials Banks Paris 1863 Defunct, now part of Crédit Agricole
Criteo Technology Internet Paris 2005 Online advertising
Danone Consumer goods Food products Paris 1919 Food and dairy
Dassault Systèmes Technology Software Vélizy-Villacoublay 1981 Software
Debacq & Cie Consumer goods Clothing & accessories Paris 1812 Jewelry, watches
Decathlon Consumer goods Clothing & accessories Villeneuve-d'Ascq 1976 Clothing and sportswear
Dexia Financials Banks Paris 1996 Franco-Belgian, defunct
Diptyque Consumer goods Personal products Paris 1961 Luxury goods
E.Leclerc Consumer services Cooperative society Ivry-sur-Seine 1948 Retailer
Edenred Industrials Specialized consumer services Paris 2010 Food services and facilities
Éditions Philippe Amaury Consumer services Publishing Boulogne-Billancourt 1944 Newspaper, television
Eisenberg Paris Consumer goods Personal products Paris 2000 Luxury goods
Électricité de France (EDF) Utilities Conventional electricity Paris 1946 Power generation
Elf Aquitaine Oil & gas Exploration & production Courbevoie[9] 1967 Merged into TotalEnergies in 2003.
Engie Utilities Electricity generation La Défense 2008 Merger of Gaz de France and Suez
EssilorLuxottica Healthcare, Eyewear Optical lenses, sunglasses, and prescription eyewear Charenton-le-Pont 1849 Optical lenses, eyeglass frames, sunglasses
Eutelsat Telecommunications Mobile telecommunications Paris 1977 Satellite provider
Fnac Consumer services Specialty retailers Ivry-sur-Seine 1954 Retail chain
Framatome Nuclear industries Nuclear engineering Courbevoie 1958 Nuclear reactors
Free Telecommunications Fixed line telecommunications Paris 1999 ISP, part of Iliad SA
Galeries Lafayette Consumer services Broadline retailers Paris 1912 Department store chain
Gameloft Technology Software Paris 2000 Video games, part of Vivendi
Gandi Technology Internet Paris 1999 Domain name registrar
Gaumont Consumer services Broadcasting & entertainment Neuilly-sur-Seine 1895 Film studio
Genset Health care Biotechnology Paris 1989 Defunct 2002, now part of Merck Serono (Germany)
Getlink Industrials Transportation services Paris 1986 Infrastructure, operates Channel Tunnel
Groupe BPCE Financials Banks Paris 2009 Bank
Groupe Bull Technology Computer hardware Les Clayes-sous-Bois 1931 Part of Atos
Groupe Casino Consumer services Broadline retailer Saint-Étienne 1898 Retailer
Groupe SEB Consumer goods Consumer electronics Ecully 1857 Small appliances
Hachette Consumer services Publishing Paris 1826 Publisher, part of Lagardère Group
Hachette Filipacchi Médias Consumer services Publishing Paris 1826 Magazine publisher, part of Lagardère Group
Havas Consumer services Media agencies Paris 1968 Advertising and PR
Hermès Consumer goods Clothing & accessories Paris 1837 Luxury goods
Hutchinson SA Industrials Diversified industrials Paris 1853 Diversified manufacturing
Iliad SA Telecommunications Fixed line telecommunications Paris 1990 Telecom
JCDecaux Industrials Electronic equipment Neuilly-sur-Seine 1964 Display and advertising equipment
Keolis Consumer services Travel & tourism Paris 2001 Transport group
Kering Consumer goods Clothing & accessories Paris 1963 Luxury goods (formly known as PPR)
La Poste Industrials Delivery services Paris 1991 Postal services
Laboratoires Expanscience Health care Pharmaceuticals Paris 1950 Pharma and cosmetics
Lacoste Consumer goods Clothing & accessories Troyes 1933 Clothing
Lactalis Consumer goods Food products Laval 1933 Dairy
Lafarge Industrials Building materials & fixtures Paris 1833 Construction and concrete, part of LafargeHolcim
Lafuma Consumer goods Recreational products Paris 1930 Outdoor equipment
Lagardère Group Consumer services Broadcasting & entertainment Paris 1922 Media conglomerate
Lancôme Consumer goods Personal products Paris 1935 Cosmetics, part of L'Oréal
Le Zèbre Consumer goods Automobiles Suresnes 1907 Automobiles, defunct 1931
L'Oréal Consumer goods Personal products Clichy 1909 Cosmetics
Louis Vuitton Consumer goods Clothing & accessories Paris 1854 Part of LVMH
LVMH Consumer goods Clothing & accessories Paris 1987 Luxury goods group
Mandriva Technology Software Paris 1995 Software, defunct 2015
Manuloc Industrials Logistics Metz 1964 Forklifts
Société nationale maritime Corse Méditerranée Industrials Marine transportation Marseille 1969 Ferries, defunct 2015, now Corsica Linea
Matra Marconi Space Industrials Aerospace Toulouse 1996 Defunct 2000, now EADS Astrium
Matra Consumer goods Automobiles Romorantin-Lanthenay 1964 Defunct 2003, now part of Lagardère Group
Mavic Consumer goods Recreational products Annecy 1889 Bicycle parts, part of Salomon Group
MC2 Technology Software Montrouge 1985 Video games, merged with Microids
Michelin Consumer goods Tires Clermont-Ferrand 1889 Tires
Microids Technology Software Montreuil 1984 Video games, part of Anuman
Montagut Consumer goods Clothing & accessories Saint-Sauveur-de-Montagut 1880 Clothing
MoonScoop Group Consumer services Broadcasting & entertainment Paris 2003 Animation production, defunct 2014
Motul Basic materials Speciality chemicals Aubervilliers 1853 Lubricants
Naval Group Industrials Defense Paris 1631 Shipyards
Norauto Consumer goods Auto parts Lesquin 1970 Car parts and repairs
Orange S.A. Telecommunications Mobile telecommunications Paris 1988 Telecom
Orano Nuclear industries Nuclear cycle Courbevoie 2017 Uranium, nuclear fuel, nuclear recycling
Oxbow Consumer goods Recreational products Mérignac 1985 Sporting goods, part of Lafuma
Parrot SA Industrials Diversified industrials Paris 1994 Manufacturing
Pathé Consumer services Broadcasting & entertainment Paris 1896 Cinema, film equipment and production
Pentalog Industrials Business support services Orléans 1993 Offshoring, business support
Pernod Ricard Consumer goods Distillers & vintners Paris 1975 Distilled beverages
Peugeot Consumer goods Automobiles Rueil-Malmaison 1810 Car manufacturer, part of Stellantis (Netherlands)
PSA Group Consumer goods Automobiles Rueil-Malmaison 1976 Merged with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to form Stellantis
Publicis Industrials Business support services Paris 1926 Marketing and PR
Quantic Dream Technology Software Paris 1997 Video games
RATP Group Consumer services Travel & tourism Paris 1948 Public transport
Renault Consumer goods Automobiles Boulogne-Billancourt 1899 Car manufacturer
Rexel Industrials Electrical components & equipment Paris 1967 Commercial equipment
Rhodia Basic materials Specialty chemicals La Défense 1998 Chemicals, part of Solvay S.A. (Belgium)
Rhône-Poulenc Basic materials Specialty chemicals Paris 1928 Chemical, merged with Hoechst AG to form Aventis
Safran Industrials Aerospace Paris 2005 Aircraft engines
SAGEM Technology Telecommunications equipment Paris 1924 Defunct 2005, now Safran
Saint-Gobain Industrials Building materials & fixtures La Défense 1665 Building materials
Salomon Group Consumer goods Recreational products Épagny-Metz-Tessy 1947 Sports equipment
Sanofi Health care Pharmaceuticals Paris 2004 Formed by merger of Sanofi-Synthélabo and Aventis (the original incarnation of Sanofi was established in 1973)
Schneider Electric Industrials Electrical components & equipment Rueil-Malmaison 1836 Energy and automation equipment
SCOR SE Financials Reinsurance Paris 1970 Reinsurance
SDV International Logistics Industrials Delivery services Puteaux 1885 Logistics
Sephora Consumer services Specialty retailers Paris 1969 Cosmetic retailer
Servier Health care Pharmaceuticals Suresnes 1954 Pharmaceuticals
SFR Telecommunications Fixed line telecommunications Paris 1987 Telecom, ISP, owned by Altice
Sigfox Technology Telecommunications equipment Labège 2009 Wireless devices
SNCF Consumer services Travel & tourism Saint-Denis 1938 Passenger rail
Snecma Industrials Aerospace Courcouronnes 1945 Engines, part of Safran
Société Bic Consumer goods Nondurable household products Clichy 1945 Consumer goods
Société Générale Financials Banks La Défense 1864 Banking and financial services
Sodexo Industrials Specialized consumer services Issy-les-Moulineaux 1966 Food services and facilities
Sogeti Technology Software Paris 2002 IT consulting, part of Capgemini
Sopra Steria Technology Software Annecy 1968 Consulting and development
Suez Utilities Multiutilities Paris 1997 Utilities, defunct 2008
Technicolor SA Consumer services Broadcasting & entertainment Issy-les-Moulineaux 1893 Media support
Technip Industrials Business support services Paris 1958 Business support, merged into TechnipFMC (UK)
TF1 Group Consumer services Broadcasting & entertainment Boulogne-Billancourt 1987 Media holdings
Thales Group Industrials Aerospace La Défense 2000 Aerospace electrical
Thomson-CSF Industrials Defense Paris 1879 Merged into Thales Group
TotalEnergies Oil & gas Integrated oil & gas Courbevoie 1924 Petrolueum
Ubisoft Technology Software Rennes 1986 Video games
Veolia Utilities Water Paris 1853 Water utilities and treatment
Vinci SA Industrials Heavy construction Rueil-Malmaison 1899 Construction
Vivendi Consumer services Broadcasting & entertainment Paris 1853 Mass media
Waterman Consumer goods Nondurable household products Paris 1884 Pens, part of Sanford L.P. (US)
Yoplait Consumer goods Food products Boulogne-Billancourt 1965 Yogurt


See also

References

  1. ^ "GDP, PPP (current international $)". Data.worldbank.org. The World Bank Group. Retrieved 1 November 2015.
  2. ^ "Fortune Global 500". Fortune. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
  3. ^ "Country Comparison: Exports". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. Archived from the original on June 13, 2007. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
  4. ^ "International Trade Statistics 2008" (PDF). World Trade Organization (WTO). 2009. p. 12. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
  5. ^ "The 10 Largest Banks in the World". Doughroller.net. 15 June 2010. Archived from the original on 12 July 2011. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
  6. ^ DeCarlo, Scott (20 July 2017). "The Fortune 2017 Global 500". Fortune.
  7. ^ Aerospatiale-Matra S.A.: Private Company Information - Bloomberg
  8. ^ Amaury Sport Organisation: Private Company Information - Bloomberg
  9. ^ Elf Aquitaine S.A.: Private Company Information - Bloomberg
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