France vs Germany: Government spending by function
France
40.9%
in 2023
Germany
40.6%
in 2023
France rank
5th
Germany rank
7th
Government spending by function over time
- France
- Germany
How they compare
France currently reports 40.9% against 40.6% in Germany, a difference of 0.3%.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 17 shared years of data; in 2007 it was Germany ahead.
France ranks 5th and Germany ranks 7th of 37 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, France averaged higher in 2 and Germany in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | France | Germany | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 40.8% | 42.1% | 1.3% | Germany |
| 2010s | 42.1% | 41.7% | 0.4% | France |
| 2020s | 41.9% | 40.9% | 1.0% | France |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher government spending by function, France or Germany?
- France, at 40.9% against 40.6% in Germany as of 2023.
- What is the difference in government spending by function between France and Germany?
- 0.3%, with France ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for France and Germany?
- 17 years are reported by both, from 2007 to 2023.
- How do France and Germany rank globally for government spending by function?
- France ranks 5th and Germany ranks 7th of 37 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- OECD (2026) β with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Government spending by function. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
General government expenditure on social protection. This data is divided by total government expenditure, expressed as a percentage.