France - Expense (% of GDP)

Expense (% of GDP) in France was 46.26 as of 2019. Its highest value over the past 47 years was 49.32 in 2010, while its lowest value was 29.34 in 1973.

Definition: Expense is cash payments for operating activities of the government in providing goods and services. It includes compensation of employees (such as wages and salaries), interest and subsidies, grants, social benefits, and other expenses such as rent and dividends.

Source: International Monetary Fund, Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, and World Bank and OECD GDP estimates.

See also:

Year Value
1972 30.01
1973 29.34
1974 31.10
1975 33.57
1976 33.77
1977 34.13
1978 35.09
1979 35.50
1980 36.46
1981 38.87
1982 39.93
1983 40.67
1984 41.07
1985 41.35
1986 40.77
1987 40.61
1988 39.73
1989 38.79
1990 38.95
1991 40.19
1992 41.53
1993 43.75
1994 43.90
1995 47.10
1996 47.14
1997 47.38
1998 45.59
1999 45.39
2000 44.13
2001 44.37
2002 45.37
2003 45.64
2004 45.02
2005 45.14
2006 44.70
2007 44.20
2008 44.68
2009 48.02
2010 49.32
2011 47.59
2012 48.07
2013 48.12
2014 48.29
2015 47.99
2016 47.88
2017 47.71
2018 46.75
2019 46.26

Limitations and Exceptions: 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). Despite IMF efforts to standardize data collection, statistics are often incomplete, untimely, and not comparable across countries.

Statistical Concept and Methodology: The IMF's Government Finance Statistics Manual 2014, harmonized with the 2008 SNA, recommends an accrual accounting method, focusing on all economic events affecting assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses, not just those represented by cash transactions. It accounts for all changes in stocks, so stock data at the end of an accounting period equal stock data at the beginning of the period plus flows over the period. The 1986 manual considered only debt stocks. Government finance statistics are reported in local currency. Many countries report government finance data by fiscal year; see country metadata for information on fiscal year end by country.

Aggregation method: Weighted average

Periodicity: Annual

Classification

Topic: Public Sector Indicators

Sub-Topic: Government finance