Well, the non-earthed variety are pretty old at this stage and new installations require earthed sockets.
As far as I'm aware the same situation applies in other parts of Europe and in the USA too.
Also, in general French installations are fully RCD protected. So the likelihood of getting a shock, even from a non-earthed outlet is quite low.
A modern French installation is as good as you'll get anywhere in the world.
Bare in mind that a lot of British people's experiences of France are based on staying in "Gites" which tend to be old converted barns, many of which were converted in the 1950s and still retain a certain 1950s electrical charm!
These old houses will often only have earthed sockets in the kitchen and bathroom!
