Expense in France

France: Expense was 47.3% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
47.3%
Change on year
down 3.3%
World rank
9th
of 157 countries
All-time high
52.0%
in 2020
All-time low
29.6%
in 1973
Years of data
52
1972–2023

Expense in France, 1972–2023

0204060197219972023

Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.

Analysis

In 2023, expense in France stood at 47.3%.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.3% on the previous year and down 3.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, expense in France peaked at 52.0% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 29.6%, in 1973.

That places France 9th out of 157 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 52 years of available data.

Expense in France, year by year

Annual values for Expense (% of GDP) in France, 1972 to 2023.
Year % of GDP Change
1972 30.3%
1973 29.6% -2.1%
1974 31.4% +6.0%
1975 33.9% +7.9%
1976 34.1% +0.7%
1977 34.5% +1.0%
1978 35.4% +2.9%
1979 35.8% +1.1%
1980 36.8% +2.8%
1981 39.3% +6.7%
1982 40.4% +2.8%
1983 41.1% +1.9%
1984 41.5% +0.9%
1985 41.8% +0.7%
1986 41.1% -1.6%
1987 41.0% -0.4%
1988 40.0% -2.2%
1989 39.1% -2.3%
1990 39.3% +0.5%
1991 40.5% +3.1%
1992 41.9% +3.4%
1993 44.0% +5.1%
1994 44.2% +0.3%
1995 47.7% +8.1%
1996 47.8% +0.1%
1997 48.0% +0.5%
1998 46.3% -3.7%
1999 46.1% -0.4%
2000 44.7% -2.9%
2001 45.1% +0.9%
2002 46.1% +2.3%
2003 46.4% +0.5%
2004 45.7% -1.4%
2005 45.7% +0.1%
2006 45.2% -1.1%
2007 44.9% -0.7%
2008 45.2% +0.7%
2009 48.4% +7.0%
2010 49.7% +2.7%
2011 47.9% -3.6%
2012 48.5% +1.3%
2013 49.1% +1.1%
2014 49.1% +0.1%
2015 48.4% -1.4%
2016 48.1% -0.6%
2017 48.5% +0.7%
2018 47.1% -2.8%
2019 45.9% -2.6%
2020 52.0% +13.2%
2021 50.0% -3.8%
2022 48.9% -2.3%
2023 47.3% -3.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 33.1% 29.6% 35.8% 8
1980s 40.2% 36.8% 41.8% 10
1990s 44.6% 39.3% 48.0% 10
2000s 45.8% 44.7% 48.4% 10
2010s 48.2% 45.9% 49.7% 10
2020s 49.5% 47.3% 52.0% 4

Countries ranked near France

  1. 6 Timor-Leste 52.5% compare
  2. 7 Greece 47.3% compare
  3. 8 Italy 47.3% compare
  4. 10 Austria 46.0% compare
  5. 11 Finland 44.9% compare
  6. 12 Slovenia 42.9% compare

See the full ranking of 183 places →

More economy & growth data for France

All data for France →

Frequently asked questions

What is expense in France?
Expense in France was 47.3% in 2023, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
What is the highest expense recorded in France?
The highest recorded value was 52.0% in 2020.
What is the lowest expense recorded in France?
The lowest recorded value was 29.6% in 1973.
How does France rank for expense?
France ranks 9th out of 157 countries with data for 2023.
Is expense rising or falling in France?
Over the last ten years it is down 3.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this France data come from?
The figures come from Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Expense (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Expense in France. Statizoid, drawing on Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retrieved 26 August 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/stat/expense-percent-of-gdp/france/

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About this data

Indicator
Expense (% of GDP)
Unit
% of GDP
Source
Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
183 places, 5,211 data points, 1972–2024
Last refreshed

Expense is a decrease in net worth resulting from a transaction. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.