France vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Public sector employment as a share of total employment
France
28.9%
in 2020
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
28.9%
in 2018
France rank
10th
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank
11th
Public sector employment as a share of total employment over time
- France
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
How they compare
France currently reports 28.9% against 28.9% in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a difference of 0.0%.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 14 shared years of data; in 2005 it was France ahead.
France ranks 10th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 11th of 79 countries.
France has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | France | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 32.0% | 31.5% | 0.6% | France |
| 2010s | 32.1% | 28.8% | 3.4% | France |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher public sector employment as a share of total employment, France or United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- France, at 28.9% against 28.9% in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as of 2020.
- What is the difference in public sector employment as a share of total employment between France and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- 0.0%, with France ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for France and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- 14 years are reported by both, from 2005 to 2018.
- How do France and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank globally for public sector employment as a share of total employment?
- France ranks 10th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 11th of 79 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Bank (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Public sector employment as a share of total employment. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Share of all employed people who are paid employees of the public sector, including government, the armed forces, public services, and state-owned enterprises.