Military spending in France
France: Military spending was 71.97 billion constant 2022 US$ in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
71.97 billion constant 2022 US$
Change on year
up 11.0%
World rank
7th
of 172 countries
All-time high
126.02 billion constant 2022 US$
in 1918
All-time low
692.97 million constant 2022 US$
in 1818
Years of data
207
1816–2023
Military spending in France, 1816–2023
Source: Barnum et al. - Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in constant 2022 US$.
Analysis
France recorded 71.97 billion constant 2022 US$ for military spending in 2023.
That represents a change of up 11.0% on the previous year and up 17.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending in France peaked at 126.02 billion constant 2022 US$ in 1918 and was at its lowest, 692.97 million constant 2022 US$, in 1818.
France ranks 7th of 172 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1810s | 747.51 million constant 2022 US$ | 692.97 million constant 2022 US$ | 842.67 million constant 2022 US$ | 4 |
| 1820s | 1.11 billion constant 2022 US$ | 778.78 million constant 2022 US$ | 1.32 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1830s | 1.65 billion constant 2022 US$ | 1.40 billion constant 2022 US$ | 1.93 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1840s | 2.66 billion constant 2022 US$ | 2.15 billion constant 2022 US$ | 3.20 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1850s | 3.35 billion constant 2022 US$ | 2.39 billion constant 2022 US$ | 5.83 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1860s | 3.21 billion constant 2022 US$ | 2.33 billion constant 2022 US$ | 4.56 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1870s | 3.45 billion constant 2022 US$ | 2.83 billion constant 2022 US$ | 5.39 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1880s | 4.00 billion constant 2022 US$ | 3.43 billion constant 2022 US$ | 4.50 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1890s | 4.84 billion constant 2022 US$ | 4.45 billion constant 2022 US$ | 5.14 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1900s | 5.44 billion constant 2022 US$ | 5.11 billion constant 2022 US$ | 6.25 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1910s | 47.19 billion constant 2022 US$ | 6.08 billion constant 2022 US$ | 126.02 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1920s | 4.84 billion constant 2022 US$ | 3.75 billion constant 2022 US$ | 6.25 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1930s | 11.99 billion constant 2022 US$ | 6.66 billion constant 2022 US$ | 16.25 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1940s | 23.28 billion constant 2022 US$ | 12.02 billion constant 2022 US$ | 94.95 billion constant 2022 US$ | 9 |
| 1950s | 15.41 billion constant 2022 US$ | 3.07 billion constant 2022 US$ | 30.90 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1960s | 34.40 billion constant 2022 US$ | 26.63 billion constant 2022 US$ | 40.25 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1970s | 46.51 billion constant 2022 US$ | 39.34 billion constant 2022 US$ | 58.75 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 58.87 billion constant 2022 US$ | 53.95 billion constant 2022 US$ | 65.85 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 64.68 billion constant 2022 US$ | 53.17 billion constant 2022 US$ | 69.31 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 64.54 billion constant 2022 US$ | 52.30 billion constant 2022 US$ | 73.36 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 60.42 billion constant 2022 US$ | 53.93 billion constant 2022 US$ | 66.73 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 68.11 billion constant 2022 US$ | 64.84 billion constant 2022 US$ | 71.97 billion constant 2022 US$ | 4 |
Countries ranked near France
- 4 India 95.30 billion constant 2022 US$ compare
- 5 Saudi Arabia 88.35 billion constant 2022 US$ compare
- 6 United Kingdom 84.21 billion constant 2022 US$ compare
- 8 Ukraine 62.62 billion constant 2022 US$ compare
- 9 Japan 62.31 billion constant 2022 US$ compare
- 10 Germany 62.28 billion constant 2022 US$ compare
More reference data data for France
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.5862 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 3.31 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.1356 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies -0.3048 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 1.2 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 127.7 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military spending in France?
- Military spending in France was 71.97 billion constant 2022 US$ in 2023, according to Barnum et al. - Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest military spending recorded in France?
- The highest recorded value was 126.02 billion constant 2022 US$ in 1918.
- What is the lowest military spending recorded in France?
- The lowest recorded value was 692.97 million constant 2022 US$ in 1818.
- How does France rank for military spending?
- France ranks 7th out of 172 countries with data for 2023.
- Is military spending rising or falling in France?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this France data come from?
- The figures come from Barnum et al. - Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Military spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
This data is expressed in US dollars. It is adjusted for inflation but does not account for differences in the cost of living between countries.