France: Claims on central government, etc. (% of GDP)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, France's claims on central government, etc. (% of GDP) fell 0.14 percentage points on 2023 (from 29.16% to 29.02%).

Across the 22 yearly changes before that (2002 to 2023), the average change was +0.89 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.96 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.5 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 5.34 percentage points in 2016 and the biggest yearly fall was 1.45 percentage points in 2003. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is upward, about 1.88 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 89% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2024, France had the 4th highest value of the 40 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to France in the 2024 ranking

• China — 1st of 40: 45.99%
• Spain — 2nd of 40: 37.17%
• Portugal — 4th of 40: 28.29%
• Malawi — 5th of 40: 27.94%
• Gambia, The — 6th of 40: 27.55%

What this measures

Claims on central government include loans to central government institutions net of deposits. 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.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 24 values

Claims on central government, etc. (% of GDP) in nearby economies

• Albania — 21.66% (2025)
• Armenia — 12.29% (2025)
• Austria — 17.69% (2024)
• Azerbaijan — -3.85% (2025)
• Belarus — -5.76% (2021)
• Belgium — 21.15% (2024)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 4.09% (2025)
• Bulgaria — 3.89% (2024)
• Croatia — 8.7% (2024)
• Cyprus — 11.58% (2024)

More financial sector data for France

• Consumer price index (2010 = 100) — 127.7 (2025)
• Inflation, consumer prices (annual % growth) — 0.94% (2025)
• GDP deflator (base year varies by country) — 113.08 (2025)
• DEC alternative conversion factor (LCU per US$) — US$0.88 (2025)
• Official exchange rate (LCU per US$, period average) — US$0.88 (2025)
• Inflation, GDP deflator (annual % growth) — 1.18% (2025)
• Deposit interest rate (%) — 0.79% (2017)
• Real effective exchange rate index (2010 = 100) — 91.93 (2025)
• Market capitalization of listed domestic companies (current US$) — US$2.37 trillion (2018)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is France's claims on central government, etc. (% of GDP)?

29.02% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2001?

It is up 19.41 percentage points from 9.61% in 2001. The highest value was 30.11% in 2022 and the lowest 6.5% in 2008.

How does France rank?

4th highest of 40 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in claims on central government, etc. (% of GDP) unusual for France?

In 2024, France's claims on central government, etc. (% of GDP) fell 0.14 percentage points on 2023 (from 29.16% to 29.02%). Across the 22 yearly changes before that (2002 to 2023), the average change was +0.89 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.96 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.5 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator FS.AST.CGOV.GD.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF); World Development Indicators Database, World Bank (WB); National Accounts data files, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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