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Economic indicator

France's public debt

Public debt measures the financial liabilities of general government. It is read as a level, as a pace and as a percentage of GDP to assess its sustainability.

Latest value

119.0%of GDP

Period
Q2 2026
Source
INSEE
Status
provisional figure, subject to revision by the producer
Checked on
Public debt
€3,595.5bn — Q2 2026 (INSEE, provisional figure, subject to revision by the producer)

Why this indicator matters

This indicator matters because it shapes fiscal room for manoeuvre, the State's financing cost and the perception of France's financial trajectory.

History, 1981–2026

Public Debt (% GDP) — 1981 to 2026 (%)02550751001251981199120012011202120261981: 22.6 %1982: 26.2 %1983: 27.7 %1984: 30.2 %1985: 31.9 %1986: 32.4 %1987: 34.8 %1988: 34.7 %1989: 35.5 %1990: 36.8 %1991: 37.8 %1992: 41.7 %1993: 48.2 %1994: 51.6 %1995: 57.8 %1996: 60.6 %1997: 62 %1998: 62.1 %1999: 61.4 %2000: 59.7 %2001: 59.3 %2002: 61.3 %2003: 65.4 %2004: 66.9 %2005: 68.2 %2006: 65.4 %2007: 65.5 %2008: 69.8 %2009: 84.1 %2010: 86.3 %2011: 88.7 %2012: 91.7 %2013: 94.6 %2014: 96.2 %2015: 97 %2016: 98.2 %2017: 98.8 %2018: 98.5 %2019: 98.2 %2020: 114.9 %2021: 112.8 %2022: 111.4 %2023: 109.5 %2024: 112.6 %2025: 115.7 %Q2 2026: 119 %119 (Q2 2026)
Public Debt (% GDP), in %. Source: INSEE — annual national accounts, base 2020. The last point, Q2 2026, is the latest observation served; the values can be read by hovering over each point and in the table below.

The values, year by year

Public Debt (% GDP), annual values in %, source INSEE — annual national accounts, base 2020
Period%
Q2 2026119
2025115.7
2024112.6
2023109.5
2022111.4
2021112.8
2020114.9
201998.2
201898.5
201798.8
201698.2
201597
201496.2
201394.6
201291.7
201188.7
201086.3
200984.1
200869.8
200765.5
200665.4
200568.2
200466.9
200365.4
200261.3
200159.3
200059.7
199961.4
199862.1
199762
199660.6
199557.8
199451.6
199348.2
199241.7
199137.8
199036.8
198935.5
198834.7
198734.8
198632.4
198531.9
198430.2
198327.7
198226.2
198122.6

Method and limits

  • Coverage: Maastricht debt — general government.
  • The data are consolidated and dated, never real-time; a provisional figure may be revised by its producer.
  • No change is mechanically attributed to a political decision: reading by period serves to place, not to judge.
MethodologySourcesRevisions logGlossary

How France EcoScan puts it into perspective

France ÉcoScan places it within long series and presidential terms, and cross-reads it with GDP, the public deficit and sovereign yields.

GDP10-year OATpublic deficit

Frequently asked questions

How much is France's public debt today?
119.0% of GDP — Q2 2026 (INSEE, provisional figure, subject to revision by the producer). Public debt: €3,595.5bn, Q2 2026 (INSEE).
Where does this data come from?
INSEE — Maastricht debt — general government. Provisional figure, subject to revision by the producer. Last checked on 29 September 2026. The data are consolidated, never real-time.
How should this indicator be read?
This indicator matters because it shapes fiscal room for manoeuvre, the State's financing cost and the perception of France's financial trajectory.

Explore the data

The observatory cross-reads this indicator with the others, on the same series, by period.

Open in the observatory