Emmanuel Macron beat far-right presidential hopeful Marine Le Pen in France's election on Sunday night.

But it seems the National Front leader actually ended up in third place, behind the number of people who refused to vote for either candidate.

Pro-European centrist Macron took 65.5 per cent of the vote, early polls showed, with Le Pen trailing a distant second with 34.5 per cent.

Marine Le Pen was beaten by Emmanuel Macron in Sunday's French presidential election, but actually came third after people who abstained or spoiled their ballots

Projections showed Le Pen took 34.5 per cent of the vote, or 10.7million ballots. A record-breaking 4.2million soiled their ballot, while 12million more abstained

But a record-breaking 12 per cent of French voters were projected to have spoiled their ballots - seemingly put off by both politicians who are not members of establishment parties.

Meanwhile 25.3 per cent of those who were eligible to vote abstained from doing so, a record since the 1969 general election and the second highest in modern times.

Taken together, the two figures top Le Pen's total share of the vote.

The figures were confirmed by national paper Le Monde, which reported that Macron took a total of 20.6million votes.

Le Pen scooped up 10.7million votes, while 12million voters abstained and another 4.2million did not mark their ballot or spoiled it.

Despite that result, Le Pen delivered a concession speech in which she hailed a record vote-share for her National Front party, calling it 'a new political force'.

Macron took 20.7million votes, according to projections, which was still outweighed by the number who didn't vote for him - Le Pen's vote, abstentions and spoiled ballots taken together

A sombre-looking Macron reached out to Le Pen voters in his victory speech, acknowledging the 'anger, anxiety and doubt' that many feel

She vowed to 'lead the fight' at the French parliamentary elections next month, saying: 'Our patriotic and republican alliance will be the primary force of opposition to the programme of the new president.'

Meanwhile a sombre Macron, who was criticised for celebrating too much after the first-round vote, reached out to Le Pen's voters in his own speech.

He vowed to be a President for all of France, saying he was aware of the 'anger, anxiety and doubt' that many voters felt.

He vowed to defend France's best interests, saying he would also work hard to defend the country's image abroad and fight against terrorism.