Healthcare industries
France offers a healthcare service that seeks to meet all patients’ needs, which is supported by a robust healthcare industry. With a sector that represents €90 billion in revenues, 35% of which comes from exports and nearly 455,000 jobs, France is home to more than 3,100 life sciences businesses of all sizes, ranging from startups to multinationals. All French healthcare key players are grouped together under the French Healthcare brand.

#3 in the OECD
for healthcare spending:
(OECD, 2019)

France is ranked 11th
in the world for life expectancy at birth
(World Bank, 2019)

#1 in the OECD
for access to healthcare
(OECD, 2019)
“Healthcare Innovation 2030”

As part of the “Healthcare Innovation 2030” strategy, nearly €7 billion will be made available to promote innovative investments in healthcare. The measures announced aim in particular to make use of the key points expected by manufacturers and the healthcare innovation ecosystem, including:
- Better predictability/competitiveness regarding clinical trial authorization times, market access and public spending for healthcare products.
- Simplification of the management of innovation in healthcare.
- Support for industrial investments and in the fields of the future.
- The relaunch of the site/cluster policy for biomedical research
Discover “Healthcare Innovation 2030”
#FranceRelance's measures in healthcare industry
Healthcare in France

France is renowned for the quality and excellence of its medical research and care not to mention its range of globally recognized healthcare companies across different sectors.
The series of kits all about France are intended to promote the French economy, its products and its businesses abroad. They are also available in French.
Moreover, in France all the French healthcare players are grouped together under the French Healthcare brand to contribute to the influence of French expertise internationally.
Find out more about France’s healthcare sector in eight subject areas:
- Healthtech: A dynamic sector comprising 1,700 companies with nearly €1.8 billion in funds raised in 2019.
- Medical devices: France has many innovative startups and is Europe’s second leading market for medical devices.
- Connected healthcare: The French government is acutely aware of the importance of digital technology in the healthcare sector and so has placed it at the heart of its “Ma santé 2022” strategy.
- Healthcare in France: The country has more than 1.2 million healthcare professionals and is ranked fifth in the world for the quality of its health infrastructure.
- The silver economy: This growing sector generated revenues of €130 billion in 2020 and could lead to 300,000 net job creations.
- Medicinal products and vaccines: France is the world’s fifth largest market for medicinal products for human use and the fourth largest exporter of vaccines.
- Cancer treatment: France is a leader in cancer research; the Institut Gustave Roussy is Europe’s leading institute in the fight against cancer.
- Chronic diseases: France is renowned for its expertise and research excellence in the fight against chronic diseases such as diabetes, hepatitis and cardiovascular disease.
Discover Healthcare in France

FRENCH HEALTHCARE is an innovative public-private initiative aimed at bringing together the key players in the French healthcare ecosystem (companies, researchers, healthcare professionals, innovation clusters, etc.), to promote their operations, expertise and technologies internationally.
Improving healthcare for all
Faced with the global pandemic, French healthcare companies have continued to innovate to offer a range of effective solutions to fight COVID-19.
Discover nine French Healthcare video from these areas of expertise
Belen Garijo, Merck Healthcare
With more than 3,700 highly qualified employees across all fields, from research to production, Merck Healthcare is a leading employer for France and views the country as a strategic pillar. France is home to the group’s second largest European subsidiary, with 10 sites across the country, including seven production facilities.