In 2023, services contributed the most to France's gross domestic product (GDP), with a share of just under 70 percent. Having an economy based on the services sector is a widely recognized marker of an advanced economy. What are the attractions in the services sector? France's economy was about 2.7 trillion U.S. dollars, and its GDP is projected to increase through 2024. The country's services sector relies heavily on the retail and fashion industry, as well as a robust tourist industry: France is the number one tourist location worldwide, with many different types of destinations, including museums, pieces of architecture, beaches, and seaside resorts. France's future France's economic strength is quite steady, as the growth rate of the country's real GDP is continuously positive but incremental. Employment is expected to increase slightly as well, with travel and tourism expected to contribute over 2.8 billion jobs in France.

The statistic depicts France's real gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate from 2020 to 2024, with projections 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. Real GDP is adjusted for price changes and is therefore regarded as a key indicator for economic growth. In 2024, France's real GDP grew by about 1.07 percent compared to the previous year. Unemployment in France France has one of the largest economies in the world and is the second largest economy in the European Union, behind Germany, with whom France often partnered in order to support the structure of the European Union. France is also the fourth most populated country in Europe and has maintained slow population growth since the mid 2000s. Despite being not only a European but also a global economic power, France struggled with maintaining a low unemployment rate and experienced a significant increase in unemployment after the 2008 crash, just like many other prominent industrial countries. However, unlike these other nations, unemployment continued to rise well into the 2010s, while the employment situations in neighboring and international countries improved almost every year. The lack of working opportunities is related to the Eurozone crisis that primarily affected southern European countries, such as Spain, Portugal and Italy.

Graph and download economic data for Financial System Deposits to GDP for France (DDDI08FRA156NWDB) from 1960 to 2021 about France, deposits, financial, and GDP.

According to a survey conducted in March 2024, 58 percent of the French respondents mentioned the purchasing power as one of their main economic preoccupations. French people were also highly concerned about the social protection system and taxes. Finally, 22 percent of those surveyed were also worried about France's public debt and deficits.

France: Financial system deposits, percent of GDP: The latest value from 2021 is 106.66 percent, a decline from 109.99 percent in 2020. In comparison, the world average is 69.41 percent, based on data from 138 countries. Historically, the average for France from 1960 to 2021 is 56.98 percent. The minimum value, 17.45 percent, was reached in 1960 while the maximum of 109.99 percent was recorded in 2020.

Financial system deposits to GDP (%) in France was reported at 107 % in 2021, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. France - Financial system deposits to GDP - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

France FR: Claims on Other Sectors of The Domestic Economy: % of GDP data was reported at 137.321 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 137.503 % for 2016. France FR: Claims on Other Sectors of The Domestic Economy: % of GDP data is updated yearly, averaging 134.456 % from Dec 2001 (Median) to 2017, with 17 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 138.775 % in 2011 and a record low of 91.394 % in 2002. France FR: Claims on Other Sectors of The Domestic Economy: % of GDP data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s France – Table FR.World Bank.WDI: Bank Loans. Claims on other sectors of the domestic economy (IFS line 52S or 32S) include gross credit from the financial system to households, nonprofit institutions serving households, nonfinancial corporations, state and local governments, and social security funds.; ; International Monetary Fund, International Financial Statistics and data files, and World Bank and OECD GDP estimates.; Weighted average;

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.

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 Health Expenditure: 2010p: PS: HC: Grant Care System data was reported at 2.155 EUR bn in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 2.354 EUR bn for 2015. France Health Expenditure: 2010p: PS: HC: Grant Care System data is updated yearly, averaging 2.028 EUR bn from Dec 2001 (Median) to 2016, with 16 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2.574 EUR bn in 2013 and a record low of 1.515 EUR bn in 2001. France Health Expenditure: 2010p: PS: HC: Grant Care System data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies. The data is categorized under Global Database’s France – Table FR.G058: Health Statistics: Expenditure: 2010p.

Abstract

Financial inclusion is critical in reducing poverty and achieving inclusive economic growth. When people can participate in the financial system, they are better able to start and expand businesses, invest in their children’s education, and absorb financial shocks. Yet prior to 2011, little was known about the extent of financial inclusion and the degree to which such groups as the poor, women, and rural residents were excluded from formal financial systems.

By collecting detailed indicators about how adults around the world manage their day-to-day finances, the Global Findex allows policy makers, researchers, businesses, and development practitioners to track how the use of financial services has changed over time. The database can also be used to identify gaps in access to the formal financial system and design policies to expand financial inclusion.

Geographic coverage

National Coverage

Analysis unit

Individual

Universe

The target population is the civilian, non-institutionalized population 15 years and above.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Frequency of data collection

Triennial

Sampling procedure

As in the first edition, the indicators in the 2014 Global Findex are drawn from survey data covering almost 150,000 people in more than 140 economies-representing more than 97 percent of the world's population. The survey was carried out over the 2014 calendar year by Gallup, Inc. as part of its Gallup World Poll, which since 2005 has continually conducted surveys of approximately 1,000 people in each of more than 160 economies and in over 140 languages, using randomly selected, nationally representative samples. The target population is the entire civilian, noninstitutionalized population age 15 and above. The set of indicators will be collected again in 2017.

Surveys are conducted face to face in economies where telephone coverage represents less than 80 percent of the population or is the customary methodology. In most economies the fieldwork is completed in two to four weeks. In economies where face-to-face surveys are conducted, the first stage of sampling is the identification of primary sampling units. These units are stratified by population size, geography, or both, and clustering is achieved through one or more stages of sampling. Where population information is available, sample selection is based on probabilities proportional to population size; otherwise, simple random sampling is used. Random route procedures are used to select sampled households. Unless an outright refusal occurs, interviewers make up to three attempts to survey the sampled household. To increase the probability of contact and completion, attempts are made at different times of the day and, where possible, on different days. If an interview cannot be obtained at the initial sampled household, a simple substitution method is used. Respondents are randomly selected within the selected households by means of the Kish grid. In economies where cultural restrictions dictate gender matching, respondents are randomly selected through the Kish grid from among all eligible adults of the interviewer's gender.

In economies where telephone interviewing is employed, random digit dialing or a nationally representative list of phone numbers is used. In most economies where cell phone penetration is high, a dual sampling frame is used. Random selection of respondents is achieved by using either the latest birthday or Kish grid method. At least three attempts are made to reach a person in each household, spread over different days and times of day.

The sample size in France was 1,000 individuals.

Mode of data collection

Other [oth]

Research instrument

The questionnaire was designed by the World Bank, in conjunction with a Technical Advisory Board composed of leading academics, practitioners, and policy makers in the field of financial inclusion. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Gallup Inc. also provided valuable input. The questionnaire was piloted in multiple countries, using focus groups, cognitive interviews, and field testing. The questionnaire is available in 142 languages upon request.

Questions on cash withdrawals, saving using an informal savings club or person outside the family, domestic remittances, school fees, and agricultural payments are only asked in developing economies and few other selected countries. The question on mobile money accounts was only asked in economies that were part of the Mobile Money for the Unbanked (MMU) database of the GSMA at the time the interviews were being held.

Sampling error estimates

Estimates of standard errors (which account for sampling error) vary by country and indicator. For country-specific margins of error, please refer to the Methodology section and corresponding table in Asli Demirguc-Kunt, Leora Klapper, Dorothe Singer, and Peter Van Oudheusden, “The Global Findex Database 2014: Measuring Financial Inclusion around the World.” Policy Research Working Paper 7255, World Bank, Washington, D.C.

Graph and download economic data for Increases in Railroad Mileage Operated, All Railroads, (Main Systems, Industrial and Local Railways) for France (A02F6AFRA364NNBR) from 1829 to 1913 about railroad, France, and industry.

France ST: Val: ICT: PS: SF: OS: Publishing System & Network data was reported at 192.670 2010=100 in Dec 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 134.930 2010=100 for Nov 2017. France ST: Val: ICT: PS: SF: OS: Publishing System & Network data is updated monthly, averaging 83.350 2010=100 from Jan 1995 (Median) to Dec 2017, with 276 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 234.360 2010=100 in Jan 2016 and a record low of 13.300 2010=100 in Nov 1995. France ST: Val: ICT: PS: SF: OS: Publishing System & Network data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies. The data is categorized under Global Database’s France – Table FR.C013: Services Turnover Index: Business Services: 2010=100.

France - Perceived independence of the justice system: Very good was 5.00% in December of 2024, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for France - Perceived independence of the justice system: Very good - last updated from the EUROSTAT on July of 2025. Historically, France - Perceived independence of the justice system: Very good reached a record high of 6.00% in December of 2019 and a record low of 3.00% in December of 2017.

France - Perceived independence of the justice system: Unknown was 12.00% in December of 2024, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for France - Perceived independence of the justice system: Unknown - last updated from the EUROSTAT on July of 2025. Historically, France - Perceived independence of the justice system: Unknown reached a record high of 16.00% in December of 2023 and a record low of 7.00% in December of 2016.

France Daily Average: Transactions: Volume: Card Payments data was reported at 36.700 Unit mn in 2019. This records an increase from the previous number of 34.000 Unit mn for 2018. France Daily Average: Transactions: Volume: Card Payments data is updated yearly, averaging 34.000 Unit mn from Dec 2017 (Median) to 2019, with 3 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 36.700 Unit mn in 2019 and a record low of 32.300 Unit mn in 2017. France Daily Average: Transactions: Volume: Card Payments data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Bank of France. The data is categorized under Global Database’s France – Table FR.KA007: Retail Payment Systems: Volume.

France ST: Val: ICT: ED: SF: ES: Publishing System & Network data was reported at 201.700 2005=100 in Dec 2012. This records a decrease from the previous number of 249.500 2005=100 for Nov 2012. France ST: Val: ICT: ED: SF: ES: Publishing System & Network data is updated monthly, averaging 90.400 2005=100 from Jan 1995 (Median) to Dec 2012, with 216 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 264.300 2005=100 in Nov 2011 and a record low of 29.600 2005=100 in Aug 1995. France ST: Val: ICT: ED: SF: ES: Publishing System & Network data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies. The data is categorized under Global Database’s France – Table FR.C017: Services Turnover Index: Business Services: 2005=100.

In 2021, in France, 14.5 percent of the total population lived under the poverty line. However, within French society, some people were more affected by poverty than others. For instance, the poverty rate for single-parent families stood at more than 32 percent. In comparison, only seven percent of couples without children were considered poor.

France Daily Average: Transactions: Value data was reported at 24.600 EUR bn in 2019. This records an increase from the previous number of 24.000 EUR bn for 2018. France Daily Average: Transactions: Value data is updated yearly, averaging 24.000 EUR bn from Dec 2017 (Median) to 2019, with 3 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 24.600 EUR bn in 2019 and a record low of 20.900 EUR bn in 2017. France Daily Average: Transactions: Value data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Bank of France. The data is categorized under Global Database’s France – Table FR.KA006: Retail Payment Systems: Value.

During the post-war economic boom, between the Second World War and the 1970s' recession, virtually all areas of Europe experienced significant economic growth. While this period is known as the "Golden Age of Capitalism" in Western Europe, communist countries in Eastern Europe (with socialist economic systems) generally experienced higher GDP growth rates in the 1950s and 1960s. Although most of these economies entered the period at a much less-developed stage than the likes of Britain, France, or West Germany, the Soviet model proved to be an economic success in these decades. Controlling the means of production The transition to communism across Eastern Europe saw the nationalization of most industries, as governments took control of the means of production in their respective countries. As much of Eastern Europe entered the period with relatively-low levels of industrialization compared to the west, this meant that governments could dictate the development of their manufacturing and retail industries. By the end of the 1960s, state-owned endeavors in Eastern Europe were responsible for over 95 percent of national income. Problems did arise, however, when states attempted to take control of the agricultural sector, as many of the families who owned the land were unwilling to part with it. Agriculture proved to be the only major industry not mostly owned by the state during Eastern Europe's communist era; in the long term, agriculture suffered due to the lack of government investment in such state-run economic systems. Variations There is a correlation between the sides taken during the Second World War and the speed of economic growth in each decade; the Allied nations of Czechoslovakia, Poland, the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia all experienced faster economic growth in the 1950s; whereas the Axis nations of Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania saw faster growth in the 1960s. East Germany was the exception to this rule, as its economy was much more developed than other former-Axis powers. The speed of recovery in these countries was the largest contributor to variations in growth rates, although regional variations in governance did influence development in later years (particularly in Yugoslavia).