Which has higher central government spending as share of gdp, Finland or France?

France, at 47.3% against 44.9% in Finland as of 2023.

How many years of comparable data are there for Finland and France?

52 years are reported by both, from 1972 to 2023.

Where does this data come from?

International Monetary Fund (IMF), OECD, and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Central government spending as share of GDP. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Finland vs France: Central government spending as share of GDP

Finland

44.9%

in 2023

France

47.3%

in 2023

Finland rank

11th

France rank

9th

Central government spending as share of GDP over time

Finland
France

How they compare

France currently reports 47.3% against 44.9% in Finland, a difference of 2.4%.

That makes France's figure about 1.1 times Finland's.

The two have swapped places 2 times across 52 shared years of data; in 1972 it was France ahead.

Finland ranks 11th and France ranks 9th of 157 countries.

France has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Finland	France	Difference	Ahead
1970s	23.8%	33.1%	9.4%	France
1980s	27.3%	40.2%	13.0%	France
1990s	39.2%	44.6%	5.4%	France
2000s	34.4%	45.8%	11.3%	France
2010s	39.0%	48.2%	9.2%	France
2020s	41.1%	49.5%	8.4%	France

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher central government spending as share of gdp, Finland or France?: France, at 47.3% against 44.9% in Finland as of 2023.
What is the difference in central government spending as share of gdp between Finland and France?: 2.4%, with France ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Finland and France?: 52 years are reported by both, from 1972 to 2023.
How do Finland and France rank globally for central government spending as share of gdp?: Finland ranks 11th and France ranks 9th of 157 countries.
Where does this data come from?: International Monetary Fund (IMF), OECD, and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Central government spending as share of GDP. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Finland vs France: Central government spending as share of GDP. Statizoid, drawing on International Monetary Fund (IMF), OECD, and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 31 August 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/compare/total-gov-expenditure-gdp-wdi/finland/france/

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About this data

Indicator: Central government spending as share of GDP
Unit: % of GDP
Source: International Monetary Fund (IMF), OECD, and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 157 places, 4,442 data points, 1972–2024
Last refreshed: 28 August 2026

Central government expense (cash payments for operating activities of the government in providing goods and services), as share of GDP. It excludes capital investment, such as infrastructure or equipment.