Paris, is the most populous city and the capital of France, with 105 square kilometres (41 square miles) and 2,206,488. Since the 17th century, Paris has been one of Europe’s central finance, commerce, fashion, science, music, and painting centres.
The Paris Region produced a GDP of €681 billion (US$850 billion) in 2016, accounting for 31 per cent of the GDP of France. In 2013–2014, the Paris Region had the third-highest GDP globally and the largest regional GDP in the EU. According to the Economist Intelligence Unit Worldwide Cost of Living Survey in 2018, Paris was the second-most expensive city in the world, behind Singapore and Zurich, Hong Kong, Oslo and Geneva.