
Gross debt in France
General government debt of France refers to the debts of the state, their states and municipalities, and also of public sector institutions such as social security funds.The government debt in the period from 2000 to 2021 was between 803.7 billion and 3.33 trillion USD. The highest level of the last years at 3.3 trillion US Dollar was reached in 2021. The budget deficit in the same year was 191.6 billion USD.
Based on the number of inhabitants, this is a debt of 49,150 USD per person. For comparison, the average debt per person in the same year in the European Union was 35,341 USD.
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Gross debt of the last 21 years in billion USD
This is how much debt France can afford
In accordance with the Maastricht Treaty, government debt in France is aggregated for the federal, state and local governments as well as state institutions, and therefore includes the debt of all public budgets. As it is gross debt, the government's assets are not deducted. According to the EU convergence criteria, each EU country must meet certain requirements. For the debt budget, these two conditions in particular are decisive:- Consolidated gross debt may not exceed 60% of gross domestic product (GDP).
- The budget deficit, i.e. new annual debt, may not exceed 3% of GDP.
At the end of 2021, the debt of all EU countries averaged 92 percent.
Year | France total | % of GDP | per capita | EU per capita |
---|---|---|---|---|
2000 | 804.10 bn USD | 58.88% | 13,201 USD | 10,328 USD |
2001 | 803.74 bn USD | 58.34% | 13,099 USD | 10,404 USD |
2002 | 904.72 bn USD | 60.26% | 14,638 USD | 11,368 USD |
2003 | 1,188.17 bn USD | 64.42% | 19,089 USD | 14,148 USD |
2004 | 1,397.65 bn USD | 65.94% | 22,289 USD | 16,162 USD |
2005 | 1,480.34 bn USD | 67.38% | 23,431 USD | 16,918 USD |
2006 | 1,499.31 bn USD | 64.61% | 23,566 USD | 17,549 USD |
2007 | 1,717.07 bn USD | 64.54% | 26,822 USD | 19,574 USD |
2008 | 2,015.38 bn USD | 68.78% | 31,307 USD | 22,721 USD |
2009 | 2,242.81 bn USD | 83.04% | 34,661 USD | 23,701 USD |
2010 | 2,255.18 bn USD | 85.26% | 34,680 USD | 25,145 USD |
2011 | 2,516.66 bn USD | 87.84% | 38,515 USD | 28,417 USD |
2012 | 2,431.46 bn USD | 90.60% | 37,031 USD | 27,784 USD |
2013 | 2,626.62 bn USD | 93.41% | 39,798 USD | 30,021 USD |
2014 | 2,710.01 bn USD | 94.89% | 40,868 USD | 30,832 USD |
2015 | 2,331.42 bn USD | 95.58% | 35,034 USD | 26,170 USD |
2016 | 2,422.46 bn USD | 97.96% | 36,306 USD | 26,655 USD |
2017 | 2,546.64 bn USD | 98.13% | 38,056 USD | 27,535 USD |
2018 | 2,729.07 bn USD | 97.78% | 40,636 USD | 29,172 USD |
2019 | 2,658.64 bn USD | 97.43% | 39,453 USD | 27,927 USD |
2020 | 3,025.65 bn USD | 114.65% | 44,777 USD | 32,227 USD |
2021 | 3,329.89 bn USD | 112.58% | 49,150 USD | 35,341 USD |
Comparison of gross debt per capita with the European Union in U.S. dollars
Budget deficit in France

The budget deficit in France in the period between 1998 and 2022 varied between 19.41 billion euros and 237.85 billion euros. In 2022, France reached a balance of -131.49 billion euros.
In ratio to population, this equals a new indebtedness of 1,941 euros per capita in France in 2022. For comparison, the average debt per capita in the European Union in the same year was 1,254 euros.
Budget deficit of the past 24 years
Year | France total | % of GDP | per capita | EU per capita |
---|---|---|---|---|
1998 | -38.06 bn USD | -2.53% | -632 USD | -398 USD |
1999 | -25.73 bn USD | -1.72% | -425 USD | -204 USD |
2000 | -19.41 bn USD | -1.42% | -319 USD | 112 USD |
2001 | -20.75 bn USD | -1.51% | -338 USD | -299 USD |
2002 | -46.05 bn USD | -3.07% | -745 USD | -565 USD |
2003 | -73.97 bn USD | -4.01% | -1,188 USD | -840 USD |
2004 | -74.25 bn USD | -3.50% | -1,184 USD | -920 USD |
2005 | -69.78 bn USD | -3.18% | -1,104 USD | -822 USD |
2006 | -56.71 bn USD | -2.44% | -891 USD | -568 USD |
2007 | -70.14 bn USD | -2.64% | -1,096 USD | -360 USD |
2008 | -95.64 bn USD | -3.26% | -1,486 USD | -1,085 USD |
2009 | -193.79 bn USD | -7.17% | -2,995 USD | -2,021 USD |
2010 | -182.16 bn USD | -6.89% | -2,801 USD | -1,970 USD |
2011 | -147.70 bn USD | -5.15% | -2,260 USD | -1,463 USD |
2012 | -133.67 bn USD | -4.98% | -2,036 USD | -1,220 USD |
2013 | -114.84 bn USD | -4.08% | -1,740 USD | -1,027 USD |
2014 | -111.52 bn USD | -3.90% | -1,682 USD | -851 USD |
2015 | -88.42 bn USD | -3.63% | -1,329 USD | -574 USD |
2016 | -89.95 bn USD | -3.64% | -1,348 USD | -421 USD |
2017 | -76.78 bn USD | -2.96% | -1,147 USD | -263 USD |
2018 | -63.89 bn USD | -2.29% | -951 USD | -134 USD |
2019 | -83.63 bn USD | -3.06% | -1,241 USD | -191 USD |
2020 | -237.85 bn USD | -9.01% | -3,520 USD | -2,317 USD |
2021 | -191.58 bn USD | -6.48% | -2,828 USD | -1,852 USD |
2022 | -131.49 bn USD | -1,941 USD | -1,254 USD |
(negative numbers = deficit)