France vs Ireland: Share of government spending going to interest payments
France
3.4%
in 2023
Ireland
3.3%
in 2022
France rank
105th
Ireland rank
107th
Share of government spending going to interest payments over time
- France
- Ireland
How they compare
France currently reports 3.4% against 3.3% in Ireland, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 51 shared years of data; in 1972 it was Ireland ahead.
France ranks 105th and Ireland ranks 107th of 152 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, France averaged higher in 1 and Ireland in 5.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | France | Ireland | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.8% | 12.2% | 10.3% | Ireland |
| 1980s | 3.9% | 17.8% | 13.8% | Ireland |
| 1990s | 6.1% | 14.6% | 8.6% | Ireland |
| 2000s | 5.7% | 4.1% | 1.6% | France |
| 2010s | 4.3% | 8.4% | 4.1% | Ireland |
| 2020s | 2.9% | 3.5% | 0.6% | Ireland |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of government spending going to interest payments, France or Ireland?
- France, at 3.4% against 3.3% in Ireland as of 2023.
- What is the difference in share of government spending going to interest payments between France and Ireland?
- 0.1%, with France ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for France and Ireland?
- 51 years are reported by both, from 1972 to 2022.
- How do France and Ireland rank globally for share of government spending going to interest payments?
- France ranks 105th and Ireland ranks 107th of 152 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Share of government spending going to interest payments. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Interest expenditures on government debt, as share of total central government expenditures. Interest expenditures on government debt include payments on long-term bonds, long-term loans, and other debt instruments.