The statistic shows the national debt of France from 2019 to 2022, with projections up until 2029. In 2022, the national debt of France amounted to around 3.19 trillion U.S. dollars. For comparison, the Greek debt amounted to approximately 392.27 billion euros that same year. French national debt and developments in taxationFrance currently has one of the highest national debt levels of any of the world’s nations. Debt in the European Union’s second-largest economy is currently at around 97 percent of GDP. The cost of interest on the country’s debt alone comes in at over 1,600 euros per second; every man, woman, and child in France, of which there are 65.3 million in total, takes a share of just under 28 thousand euros of the debt.On 6th May 2012, the incumbent French President was defeated by François Hollande, leader of the French Socialist Party. The new President vowed to develop and change the tax system of France, announcing wide-ranging economic policies in a bid to balance the nation’s budget and right what he considered to be social wrongs. He pledged and supported the separation of lending and investment banks, as well as proposing sweeping changes to the French tax system. The introduction of the measure of capping tax loopholes at a maximum of ten thousand euros per year and questioning the solidarity tax on wealth, the annual direct wealth tax on those with assets above 1.3 million, were also part of Hollande’s proposals. The President has also signaled his intention to implement an income tax rate of 75 percent on revenue earned above one million euros per year. He stated the allocation of the revenue from this tax would be used to develop the deprived suburbs and to balance the nation's budget by 2017. France is a country brimming with big business and millionaires. The nation is home to the most millionaires in Europe; 2.6 million in total.

France recorded a Government Debt to GDP of 113 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product in 2024. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - France Government Debt to GDP - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

Government Debt in France increased to 3345.80 EUR Billion in the first quarter of 2025 from 3305.30 EUR Billion in the fourth quarter of 2024. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - France General Government Debt - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

Key information about France Private Debt: % of Nominal GDP

• France Private Debt accounted for 106.58 % of its Nominal GDP in Dec 2024, compared with a ratio of 106.59 % in the previous quarter
• France Private Debt contribution to Nominal GDP ratio is updated quarterly, available from Mar 1980 to Dec 2024, with an average share of 76.85 %
• The data reached an all-time high of 122.21 % in Mar 2021 and a record low of 65.91 % in Dec 1998

CEIC calculates quarterly Private Debt as % of Nominal GDP from monthly Private Debt and quarterly Nominal GDP. The Banque de France provides Private Debt in EUR. Eurostat provides Nominal GDP in EUR.

Key information about France National Government Debt

• France National Government Debt reached 3,681.2 USD bn in Sep 2024, compared with 3,461.0 USD bn in the previous quarter.
• France National Government Debt data is updated quarterly, available from Dec 1995 to Sep 2024.
• The data reached an all-time high of 3,681.2 USD bn in Sep 2024 and a record low of 761.5 USD bn in Jun 2001.

CEIC converts quarterly Government Debt into USD. National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies provides Government Debt in EUR. The Federal Reserve Board period end market exchange rate is used for currency conversions.


Related information about France National Government Debt

• In the latest reports, France Consolidated Fiscal Balance recorded a deficit equal to 6.0 % of its Nominal GDP in Sep 2024.
• The country's Government debt accounted for 110.6 % of its Nominal GDP in Dec 2023.
• France Nominal GDP reached 736.3 USD bn in Mar 2023.

In the third quarter of 2024, Greece's national debt was the highest in all the European Union, amounting to 158 percent of Greece's gross domestic product. In spite of Greece's total being high by EU standards, it marks a substantial decrease from the historical high point reached by the country's national debt of 207 percent of GDP in 2020. Italy, France, Spain, Belgium, and Portugal also all have government debt worth over one year's production of their economies, while the small Baltic country of Estonia has the smallest national debt when compared with GDP, at only 24 percent. In debitum incrementum?A country’s national debt, also known as government debt or public debt, is defined as all borrowings owed by the government of a country. It usually comprises internal debt – owed to other governmental departments – and external debt, which is held by the public and is owed to government bond owners. National debt can be caused by a struggling economy in general, or by low tax income, which usually leads to money being borrowed from other governments for support, which in turn cannot be paid back right away. At first glance, a high national debt is not always a sign of a struggling economy – but since increasing debt can slow down economic growth significantly, it is imperative for the respective government to seek a steady reduction in the long run.

France's total budgetary expenditure in 2025 was nearly 844 billion euros. The first item of expenditure was Refunds and rebates, with more than 148 billion of investment. Advances to local authorities were the second sector of public investment with more than 134 billion euros. The COVID-19 recovery plan Following the economic crisis linked to the COVID-19 pandemic in France, the French government has opened a budget of 36 billion euros for 2021. This recovery plan is intended for individuals, companies, local authorities, and administrations and is based on three themes: the economic, social, and ecological reconstruction of the country. Added to this budget is the emergency plan for the health crisis with aid to businesses.This vast plan, initiated at the very beginning of the crisis, has made it possible to limit the increase in unemployment in France, thanks to partial unemployment and the company closures through subsidies and state loans at zero interest. The economic model in the face of debt Although the economy is rapidly liberalizing in France, its economic system is still based on the principle of the welfare state, which intervenes regularly in the country's economy and finances to ensure that social services are developed for the well-being of its citizens.But this model is very expensive, the country keeps having a rather high debt level. In 2024, the public debt in France reached 112 percent of the GDP.

Key information about France Government Debt: % of GDP

• France Government debt accounted for 110.6 % of the country's Nominal GDP in Dec 2023, compared with the ratio of 111.7 % in the previous quarter.
• France government debt to GDP ratio data is updated quarterly, available from Dec 1995 to Dec 2023.
• The data reached an all-time high of 117.5 % in Mar 2021 and a record low of 56.1 % in Dec 1995.

Related information about France Government Debt: % of GDP

• In the latest reports, France National Government Debt reached 3,409.6 USD bn in Mar 2024.
• The country's Nominal GDP reached 736.3 USD bn in Mar 2023.

This statistic shows the gross domestic product (GDP) in France from 1987 to 2024, with a projection up until 2030. GDP refers to the total market value of all goods and services that are produced within a country per year. It is an important indicator of the economic strength of a country. In 2024, the GDP in France was around 3.16 trillion U.S. dollars. Economy of France France is an economically developed nation and one of the members of the G7. France is also considered to be one of the leading countries in Europe, often seen as the second most important nation in the European Union behind Germany. France has a relatively high gross domestic product (GDP), being one of the top 10 countries with the largest GDP in the world in 2014. Despite this, the country is still ranked in the top 20 in regards to its public debt compared to its GDP in the same year. A high debt-to-GDP ratio demonstrates a country’s ability to produce and sell goods and services in order to be able to pay back its debts, however producing and selling these goods should not result in more debts. France’s national debt slightly increased year-over-year up until 2014, most notably between 2008 and 2009. Additionally, France reported a large trade deficit in 2012, a value almost 5 times larger compared to the previous year, indicating that the country is importing much more than it is exporting. This often leads to higher debts due to a need to borrow more money to produce goods.