Government spending by function in France

France: Government spending by function was 40.9% in 2023. ▬ Flat

Latest (2023)
40.9%
Change on year
up 0.4%
World rank
5th
of 37 countries
All-time high
44.1%
in 2020
All-time low
40.6%
in 2008
Years of data
17
2007–2023

Government spending by function in France, 2007–2023

0102030402007201520232007: 40.8 % of government expenditure2008: 40.6 % of government expenditure2009: 41 % of government expenditure2010: 41.1 % of government expenditure2011: 41.6 % of government expenditure2012: 41.9 % of government expenditure2013: 41.7 % of government expenditure2014: 42 % of government expenditure2015: 42.2 % of government expenditure2016: 42.6 % of government expenditure2017: 42.2 % of government expenditure2018: 42.6 % of government expenditure2019: 43.3 % of government expenditure2020: 44.1 % of government expenditure2021: 41.7 % of government expenditure2022: 40.8 % of government expenditure2023: 40.9 % of government expenditure

Source: OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of government expenditure.

Analysis

In 2023, government spending by function in France stood at 40.9%.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.4% on the previous year and down 1.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, government spending by function in France peaked at 44.1% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 40.6%, in 2008.

France ranks 5th of 37 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 40.8% 40.6% 41.0% 3
2010s 42.1% 41.1% 43.3% 10
2020s 41.9% 40.8% 44.1% 4

Countries ranked near France

  1. 3 Denmark 41.5% compare
  2. 4 Austria 41.3% compare
  3. 6 Spain 40.7% compare
  4. 7 Germany 40.6% compare
  5. 8 Japan 39.9% compare

See the full ranking of 37 places →

More reference data data for France

All data for France →

Frequently asked questions

What is government spending by function in France?
Government spending by function in France was 40.9% in 2023, according to OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest government spending by function recorded in France?
The highest recorded value was 44.1% in 2020.
What is the lowest government spending by function recorded in France?
The lowest recorded value was 40.6% in 2008.
How does France rank for government spending by function?
France ranks 5th out of 37 countries with data for 2023.
Is government spending by function rising or falling in France?
Over the last ten years it is down 1.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this France data come from?
The figures come from OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Government spending by function. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 17 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Government spending by function
Unit
% of government expenditure
Source
OECD (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
37 places, 618 data points, 2007–2024
Last refreshed

General government expenditure on social protection. This data is divided by total government expenditure, expressed as a percentage.