France's expense (current LCU) was 1.34 trillion in 2023, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is up 28.38% from 1.04 trillion in 2013 (2.53% a year on average, compounded).
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 1.34 trillion | 2023 |
| Five years earlier | 1.11 trillion | 2018 |
| Ten years earlier | 1.04 trillion | 2013 |
| Highest | 1.34 trillion | 2023 |
| Lowest | 46.95 billion | 1972 |
| Average since 2014 | 1.16 trillion | 2014–2023 |
| First recorded | 46.95 billion |
What the numbers say
In 2023, France's expense (current LCU) rose 3% on 2022 (from 1.3 trillion to 1.34 trillion).
Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +3.5% and a typical year strayed about 2.5% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 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 23.6% in 1974 and the biggest yearly fall was 0.4% in 2011. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
From 2014 to 2023 the straight-line trend is upward, about 32.1 billion a year. A straight line explains 91% 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 2023, France had the 28th highest value of the 80 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 2023 ranking
- Armenia — 24th of 80: 1.99 trillion
- Norway — 25th of 80: 1.83 trillion
- Iceland — 26th of 80: 1.4 trillion
- Poland — 28th of 80: 1.34 trillion
- Dominican Republic — 29th of 80: 1.22 trillion
- United Kingdom — 30th of 80: 1.13 trillion
What this measures
Expense is a decrease in net worth resulting from a transaction. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This series is expressed in local currency units.
Limitations: For most countries central government finance data have been consolidated into one account, but for others only budgetary central government accounts are available. Countries reporting budgetary data are noted in the country metadata. Because budgetary accounts may not include all central government units (such as social security funds), they usually provide an incomplete picture. In federal states the central government accounts provide an incomplete view of total public finance. Data on government revenue and expense are collected by the IMF through questionnaires to member countries and by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
All 52 values
| Year | Expense (current LCU) |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 1,335,768,000,000 |
| 2022 | 1,296,751,600,000 |
| 2021 | 1,253,911,800,000 |
| 2020 | 1,204,660,500,000 |
| 2019 | 1,116,134,600,000 |
| 2018 | 1,109,377,700,000 |
| 2017 | 1,110,693,700,000 |
| 2016 | 1,074,621,900,000 |
| 2015 | 1,066,561,200,000 |
| 2014 | 1,057,930,600,000 |
Expense (current LCU) in nearby economies
- Albania — 601.38 billion (2023)
- Armenia — 1.99 trillion (2023)
- Austria — 219.95 billion (2023)
- Azerbaijan — 30.83 billion (2022)
- Belarus — 62.05 billion (2023)
- Belgium — 223.05 billion (2022)
- Bosnia and Herzegovina — 17.62 billion (2023)
- Bulgaria — 33.8 billion (2023)
- Croatia — 30.19 billion (2023)
- Cyprus — 12.48 billion (2023)
- Czechia — 2.43 trillion (2022)
- Denmark
More public sector data for France
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 236 million (2025)
- Military expenditure (current USD) — 68.01 billion (2025)
- Military expenditure (current LCU) — 60.29 billion (2025)
- Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 2.03% (2025)
- Arms exports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 3.37 billion (2025)
- Net investment in nonfinancial assets (current LCU) — 56.65 billion (2024)
- Net investment in nonfinancial assets (% of GDP) — 1.94% (2024)
- Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (current LCU) — -152.93 billion (2024)
- Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (% of GDP) — -5.24% (2024)
- Social contributions (current LCU)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is France's expense (current LCU)?
- 1.34 trillion in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1972?
- It is up 2,745% from 46.95 billion in 1972 (6.79% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 1.34 trillion in 2023 and the lowest 46.95 billion in 1972.
- How does France rank?
- 28th highest of 80 economies with data for 2023.
- Is the latest change in expense (current LCU) unusual for France?
- In 2023, France's expense (current LCU) rose 3% on 2022 (from 1.3 trillion to 1.34 trillion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +3.5% and a typical year strayed about 2.5% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 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 GC.XPN.TOTL.CN, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF) 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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