Keep track of France’s public spending, Social security and pensions debt and deficit.
Public spending
PUBLIC SPENDING
Total expenditures by the State, social security agencies, local authorities and related agencies and bodies
Public spending will continue to rise in 2025 to €1,695 billion. (+43 bn € in volume and +70 bn in value compared to 2024). This compares with €1,607.4 billion in 2023.
Gross domestic product (GDP)
Total new economic wealth generated in 2025
2,919.9 billion in 2024. Growth forecast for 2025: 2% (0.7% in volume, 1.3% in price).
Public expenditure/GDP
Total public spending as a percentage of GDP (2024)
0
.2%
compared with 56.9% in 2023. France ranks second in both the euro zone and the EU, behind Finland (57.6%). EU average: 49.6%. Germany: 49.5%. Netherlands: 43.9%. United States (37.6%).
GDP/CAPITA
France’s position in the IMF’s world ranking of wealth produced per capita (2024)
0
th
GDP in current dollars. France was 13th in 1980 (ahead of the United States), 11th in 1990, 19th in 2005.
SOCIAL EXPENSES
Social security debt
Amount of Social Security long-term debt carried by Caisse d’amortissement de la dette sociale (Cades)
143.4 billion in 2024. Forecast to end 2025: €166.4 billion. Cades, which is due to cease operations in 2033, has been unable to assume the social security debt since 2024, its ceiling having been reached. Acoss is now responsible for this task.
ACOSS debt
Outstanding short-term Social Security debt carried by Agence centrale des organismes de sécurité sociale (Acoss) in 2025
46 billion in outstanding debt in 2025, 65 billion in 2026, 89 billion in 2027 and 113 billion in 2028
Social expenses
All social benefits (health, old age, family, employment, housing, poverty and social exclusion)
France is the world champion in social spending (32.2% of GDP in 2023).
Social spending/GDP
Total social expenditure (health, old age, family, employment, housing, poverty and social exclusion) in 2023
0
.5%
For the eighth year running, France is the European champion in terms of social protection expenditure. EU average: 26.6%, a differential of 5 points, or 140 billion euros.
social security expenditure
Annual social expenditure (health, old age, family, employment, housing, poverty and social exclusion)
Forecast to end 2025: expenditure of €666.4 billion
Social security deficit
Balance of all compulsory basic schemes and FSV (2025)
Projected deficit of €23 billion in 2025 and €24.1 billion in 2028 (after deficits of €15.3 billion in 2024 and €11.1 billion in 2023).
HEALTH EXPENSES
Annual health insurance expenditure (ONDAM)
Forecast to end 2025: €265.9 billion (+3.4% on 2024)
cost of work stoppages
Cost of sick leave under the general scheme in 2023
0
.8
billions €
+56% increase between 2017 and 2022
Retirement expenses
Total gross pension expenditure estimated for 2025
Forecast to end 2025: €392.3 billion
Retirement system expenditure/GDP
Total gross pension expenditure in 2024
0
.6%
EU average: 11.9% (2022)
Pension system deficit
Projected deficit in 2025
Projected deficit at the end of 2025: €6.6 billion; €15 billion in 2035 and €30 billion in 2045
Unemployment insurance debt
Amount of debt carried by Unédic
59.5 billion expected by the end of 2025. The French government has withdrawn €12.05 billion, bringing the debt reduction trajectory to a halt.
Sources : Loi de financement de la Sécurité sociale (LFSS) 2025, Caisse d’amortissement de la dette sociale (CADES), Comité d’alerte sur l’évolution des dépenses d’assurance maladie, Conseil d’orientation des retraites (COR), DREES, Commission des comptes de la Sécurité sociale (rapport octobre 2024), CNAM, Haut Conseil des finances publiques, FMI, FIPECO, Ministère de la fonction publique, Cour des Comptes (Situation financière et perspectives du système de retraites, février 2025), Unédic, prévisions financières 2025.