SERVICE SECTOR
Financial services
Market capitalization of shares listed on the Paris stock exchange totals 2,400 billion francs ($480 billion), 31.5% of French GDP, ranking Paris fifth in the world.
Four French banks are among the world’s top 25: Crédit Agricole (8th), Compagnie Financière Paribas (20th), Groupe Caisses d’Epargne (21st) and Banque Nationale de Paris (22nd).
Insurance
The French insurance sector has consolidated its position as the fifth largest in the world. The life and health classes of insurance are continuing to grow, with 447 billion francs ($89.4 billion) in premium income.
Business in property insurance (including third party liability) is picking up (premiums of 218.5 billion francs, $43.7 billion). The insurance sector provides 197,200 jobs in France.
Tourism
Around 60.5 million foreign tourists visit France each year. France has 17.3 million tourist beds, including 1.2 million in over 40,000 hotels and some 16.1 million in rural gites, camp sites, youth hostels, etc.. This activity generates 900,000 jobs. The trade surplus in this sector rose to 57 billion francs in 1995 ($11.4 billion).
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