City Overview
Paris is the capital and most populous city of France, with a city population of approximately 2.2 million and a greater metropolitan area (Île-de-France) of approximately 11.1 million. It is the political, economic, and cultural centre of France and one of the most visited cities in the world, attracting over 38 million international tourists annually.
Economically, Paris is Western Europe's third-largest city economy, with a metropolitan GDP of approximately $750 billion USD. The city is the global headquarters of the luxury goods industry — home to LVMH, Kering, Hermès, L'Oréal, and dozens of the world's most prestigious fashion, cosmetics, and jewellery brands. Paris also hosts Euronext, Europe's largest stock exchange by listed companies.
In recent years Paris has emerged as a major technology hub, driven by the success of Station F — the world's largest startup campus, opened in 2017 in a converted railway station — and a government "La French Tech" initiative that has produced unicorns including Doctolib, Contentsquare, Mirakl, and Ledger. The 2024 Paris Olympics further accelerated infrastructure investment and international visibility.
Economy & Business
- Metropolitan GDP of approximately $750 billion USD — Western Europe's third-largest city economy
- Global headquarters of LVMH, Kering, Hermès, L'Oréal, BNP Paribas, Total Energies, and Airbus (administrative HQ)
- Euronext Paris — Europe's largest equity exchange, listing 900+ companies with combined market cap of €4.2 trillion
- Station F: world's largest startup campus with 1,000 startups and 35 programmes from Facebook, Microsoft, and others
- La French Tech initiative has produced 30+ unicorns — the most of any European city after London
- Major AI research hub: INRIA, CNRS, and partnerships with DeepMind, Google Brain, and Meta AI Research
Major Industries
Top Attractions
- Eiffel Tower – The world's most-visited paid monument, constructed 1887–1889 for the World's Fair
- The Louvre Museum – World's most visited art museum with 35,000+ works including the Mona Lisa
- Notre-Dame Cathedral – Gothic masterpiece being restored after the 2019 fire; reopened December 2024
- Musée d'Orsay – World's finest collection of Impressionist masterpieces in a converted railway station
- Palace of Versailles – Baroque royal palace and UNESCO World Heritage Site 20km from central Paris
- Champs-Élysées – World-famous 1.9km avenue connecting the Arc de Triomphe to Place de la Concorde
- Le Marais – Historic district with medieval streets, contemporary galleries, and world-class restaurants