France vs Italy: Central government spending as share of GDP
France
47.3%
in 2023
Italy
47.3%
in 2023
France rank
9th
Italy rank
8th
Central government spending as share of GDP over time
- France
- Italy
How they compare
Italy currently reports 47.3% against 47.3% in France, a difference of 0.0%.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 46 shared years of data; in 1973 it was France ahead.
France ranks 9th and Italy ranks 8th of 157 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, France averaged higher in 4 and Italy in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | France | Italy | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 33.5% | 30.5% | 3.0% | France |
| 1980s | 39.6% | 43.4% | 3.8% | Italy |
| 1990s | 44.6% | 45.0% | 0.4% | Italy |
| 2000s | 45.8% | 39.9% | 5.9% | France |
| 2010s | 48.2% | 43.0% | 5.3% | France |
| 2020s | 49.5% | 48.9% | 0.6% | France |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher central government spending as share of gdp, France or Italy?
- Italy, at 47.3% against 47.3% in France as of 2023.
- What is the difference in central government spending as share of gdp between France and Italy?
- 0.0%, with Italy ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for France and Italy?
- 46 years are reported by both, from 1973 to 2023.
- How do France and Italy rank globally for central government spending as share of gdp?
- France ranks 9th and Italy ranks 8th of 157 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- International Monetary Fund (IMF), OECD, and World Bank (2026) β 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.
Individual pages
About this data
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.