Across 43 economies, France exceeds the median on entrepreneurship but trails on every human flourishing measure, according to ICSB’s HCE Index.
WASHINGTON D.C., DC, UNITED STATES, October 12, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — France is one of the world’s leading economies, recognized for innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic strength. Yet new analysis from the International Council for Small Business (ICSB) reveals a striking contrast: France shows strong entrepreneurial performance but lags on key measures of human flourishing.
The findings come from the Human-Centered Entrepreneurship (HCE) Index 2026, launched at the United Nations on June 26, 2026. Drawing on data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor and Gallup World Poll, the Index examines 43 economies to ask whether entrepreneurial success translates into better lives.
France records an entrepreneurship score of 43.1 and a human flourishing score of 34.1. Both are normalized on a 0–100 scale within the international sample. France scores above the sample median on all three entrepreneurship measures but below it on all three flourishing indicators.
Strong entrepreneurship, weaker human flourishing
France’s innovation score reaches 50.7, approximately twice the sample median of 25.1. The country also scores above the median in risk-taking and pro-activeness, reflecting its capacity to innovate and pursue entrepreneurial opportunities.
The picture changes when human flourishing is examined. France falls below the sample median on empathy, enablement, and empowerment, which capture whether people are thriving, participating in steady employment, and engaged at work.
Gallup data used in the Index, covering 2022 to 2024, show that only 37% of French adults are classified as thriving, based on evaluations of their current lives and expectations for the future. Gallup’s 2026 State of the Global Workplace report, based on 2025 data, finds that only 8% of French employees are engaged at work, compared with 12% across Europe and 20% globally.
“A country can be entrepreneurial without making life and work there equally rewarding,” said Dr. Ayman ElTarabishy, president and CEO of ICSB and professor at George Washington University.
The findings do not diminish France’s entrepreneurial achievements. They reveal a dimension of national performance that conventional economic measures cannot fully capture.
Why the findings matter now
The analysis comes as student demonstrations across France have drawn attention to education, public services, and opportunities for younger generations. On October 6, the French Interior Ministry reported approximately 266,000 demonstrators nationwide, including 56,000 in Paris. Students have called for more teachers, better facilities, and smaller classes.
The HCE Index was launched nearly three months before the first student blockades. It does not directly measure students’ experiences or establish why demonstrations occurred. Its findings do, however, provide broader context for examining how economic development relates to human well-being.
Can a country be highly innovative while most of its adults are not thriving? Can entrepreneurial opportunities expand without comparable gains in workplace engagement? These questions matter beyond France, and the HCE Index was designed to bring them into the same conversation.
From research to policy
The France analysis marks the first time ICSB has used the Index to examine an unfolding development rather than report annual rankings alone. ICSB plans to publish the Index annually and use it to inform research and policy discussions about education, employment, entrepreneurship, and well-being.
Future work will examine the conditions in which people flourish, the measurement of progress beyond economic output, and whether policies improve lives alongside commercial activity.
“The responsibility of researchers is to ensure that what matters to people is also what we measure,” ElTarabishy said.
Beyond France
As countries invest in entrepreneurship, artificial intelligence, and technological development, the HCE framework offers another perspective on progress. It does not replace GDP, productivity, or business formation statistics. It complements them with evidence about how people live and work.
France’s results illustrate why these dimensions deserve to be examined together: a country can innovate and create businesses while important aspects of human flourishing remain weak.
About the Human-Centered Entrepreneurship Index
Developed by Dr. Ayman ElTarabishy, the HCE Index combines Global Entrepreneurship Monitor and Gallup World Poll data to assess 43 advanced and emerging economies. The sample is not limited to France’s economic peers. The median is the middle score among the participating economies, not a peer-country average. Index scores are normalized comparisons, not population percentages.
Explore the Index: https://icsb.org/hce-index/
About ICSB
The International Council for Small Business advances entrepreneurship, small business research, education, and public policy. ICSB co-founded United Nations Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day, established by the UN General Assembly in 2017.
Website: https://icsb.org/
Ayman ELTarabishy
International Council for Small Business
+1 202-629-7192
aymanelt@icsb.org
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Facebook
X
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability
for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this
article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
Media gallery
