Public social spending as share of GDP in France
France: Public social spending as share of GDP was 30.6% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Public social spending as share of GDP in France, 1880–2024
Source: OECD (2025); OECD (1985); Lindert (2004) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2024, public social spending as share of gdp in France stood at 30.6%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, public social spending as share of gdp in France peaked at 34.7% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0.5%, in 1880.
That places France 3rd out of 42 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
Public social spending as share of GDP in France, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 0.5% | — |
| 1890 | 0.5% | +17.4% |
| 1900 | 0.6% | +5.6% |
| 1910 | 0.8% | +42.1% |
| 1920 | 0.6% | -21.0% |
| 1930 | 1.1% | +64.1% |
| 1975 | 16.5% | +1476.1% |
| 1976 | 18.2% | +9.9% |
| 1977 | 18.7% | +2.8% |
| 1978 | 19.5% | +4.6% |
| 1979 | 19.8% | +1.4% |
| 1980 | 20.3% | +2.6% |
| 1981 | 15.8% | -22.4% |
| 1982 | 16.3% | +3.3% |
| 1983 | 16.4% | +0.7% |
| 1984 | 16.6% | +0.9% |
| 1985 | 25.6% | +54.7% |
| 1986 | 19.4% | -24.4% |
| 1987 | 19.3% | -0.5% |
| 1988 | 19.0% | -1.1% |
| 1989 | 18.1% | -5.0% |
| 1990 | 24.6% | +36.0% |
| 1991 | 25.2% | +2.5% |
| 1992 | 26.0% | +3.0% |
| 1993 | 27.3% | +5.2% |
| 1994 | 27.4% | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 28.6% | +4.5% |
| 1996 | 28.9% | +1.1% |
| 1997 | 28.7% | -0.6% |
| 1998 | 29.0% | +0.9% |
| 1999 | 28.9% | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 27.8% | -3.9% |
| 2001 | 27.9% | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 28.6% | +2.7% |
| 2003 | 28.9% | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 29.0% | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 28.9% | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 28.4% | -1.6% |
| 2007 | 28.3% | -0.5% |
| 2008 | 28.5% | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 31.0% | +8.5% |
| 2010 | 31.0% | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 30.6% | -1.0% |
| 2012 | 31.2% | +1.8% |
| 2013 | 31.6% | +1.3% |
| 2014 | 31.9% | +0.9% |
| 2015 | 31.7% | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 31.8% | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 31.5% | -1.0% |
| 2018 | 31.1% | -1.5% |
| 2019 | 30.8% | -0.9% |
| 2020 | 34.7% | +12.8% |
| 2021 | 32.7% | -5.7% |
| 2022 | 31.4% | -4.1% |
| 2023 | 30.6% | -2.3% |
| 2024 | 30.6% | +0.0% |
France compared with similar countries
- France's 30.6% is above the median for high income countries, which is 22.3%, 1.4× the median. (38 countries reporting)
- France's 30.6% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 23.0%, 1.3× the median. (30 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Public social spending as share of GDP in France changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | +1476.1% | 1.1% | 16.5% |
| 1930 | +64.1% | 0.6% | 1.1% |
| 1985 | +54.7% | 16.6% | 25.6% |
| 1910 | +42.1% | 0.6% | 0.8% |
| 1990 | +36.0% | 18.1% | 24.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 1 |
| 1890s | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 1 |
| 1900s | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 1 |
| 1910s | 0.8% | 0.8% | 0.8% | 1 |
| 1920s | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 1 |
| 1930s | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1 |
| 1970s | 18.6% | 16.5% | 19.8% | 5 |
| 1980s | 18.7% | 15.8% | 25.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 27.5% | 24.6% | 29.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 28.7% | 27.8% | 31.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 31.3% | 30.6% | 31.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 32.0% | 30.6% | 34.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near France
More reference data data for France
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 5.48 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 2.93 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 22.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.81 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 22.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 18.36 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 11.75 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 14.49 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 106.68 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 15.3 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is public social spending as share of gdp in France?
- Public social spending as share of gdp in France was 30.6% in 2024, according to OECD (2025); OECD (1985); Lindert (2004) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest public social spending as share of gdp recorded in France?
- The highest recorded value was 34.7% in 2020.
- What is the lowest public social spending as share of gdp recorded in France?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.5% in 1880.
- How does France rank for public social spending as share of gdp?
- France ranks 3rd out of 42 countries with data for 2024.
- Is public social spending as share of gdp rising or falling in France?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this France data come from?
- The figures come from OECD (2025); OECD (1985); Lindert (2004) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Public social spending as share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Public social expenditure divided bt gross domestic product, expressed as a percentage.