Europe & Central Asia · EU · OECD · G20 · NATO
Data checked 28 Oct 2026 · next scheduled check 1 Jan 2027 · UN World Population Prospects (via World Bank) released 1 Jul 2026 · Eurostat released 21 Oct 2026 · World Bank WDI released 8 Oct 2026
Total spending · 2024
57.3%
+1.2 pts since 1995
Welfare · 2024
23.7%
+1.7 pts since 1995
Healthcare · 2024
8.90%
+2.0 pts since 1995
Defence · 2024
1.90%
-0.6 pts since 1995
Education · 2024
5.10%
-0.7 pts since 1995
Debt interest · 2024
2.00%
-1.6 pts since 1995
Gross debt · 2025
115.5%
of GDP · +58 pts since 1995
Population · 2025
68.7m
15.4% since 1995
Public-sector employment
Not available: no official public-sector employment series is loaded for France yet.
Welfare rose from 22.0% to 27.2% of GDP between 1995 and 2020, then fell to 23.7% by 2024.
Healthcare rose from 6.9% to 9.4% of GDP between 1995 and 2021, then fell to 8.9% by 2024.
Defence fell from 2.5% to 1.7% of GDP between 1995 and 2014, then rose to 1.9% by 2024.
Education fell from 5.8% to 5.1% of GDP between 1995 and 2024.
Debt interest fell from 3.6% to 1.4% of GDP between 1995 and 2020, then rose to 2.0% by 2024.
Total spending rose from 56.1% to 61.7% of GDP between 1995 and 2020, then fell to 57.3% by 2024.
Gross debt rose from 57.8% to 115.5% of GDP between 1995 and 2025.
Population grew from 59.5 million in 1995 to 68.7 million in 2025; the UN projects 69.7 million by 2050.