Employee compensation as share of government spending in France
France: Employee compensation as share of government spending was 17.6% in 2023. ▬ Flat
Employee compensation as share of government spending in France, 1972–2023
Source: International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of expense.
Analysis
The most recent figure for employee compensation as share of government spending in France is 17.6%, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.6% on the previous year and down 3.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employee compensation as share of government spending in France peaked at 21.7% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 16.5%, in 1994.
France ranks 108th of 155 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Employee compensation as share of government spending in France, year by year
| Year | % of expense | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 18.3% | — |
| 1973 | 18.5% | +1.2% |
| 1974 | 17.8% | -3.9% |
| 1975 | 17.6% | -0.8% |
| 1976 | 17.5% | -0.6% |
| 1977 | 17.7% | +0.9% |
| 1978 | 17.1% | -3.3% |
| 1979 | 16.5% | -3.5% |
| 1980 | 20.7% | +25.2% |
| 1981 | 19.8% | -4.1% |
| 1982 | 19.4% | -2.2% |
| 1983 | 19.0% | -1.8% |
| 1984 | 18.8% | -1.1% |
| 1985 | 18.4% | -2.1% |
| 1986 | 17.9% | -2.8% |
| 1987 | 17.6% | -2.0% |
| 1988 | 17.1% | -2.5% |
| 1989 | 17.2% | +0.5% |
| 1990 | 17.2% | -0.1% |
| 1991 | 16.8% | -1.8% |
| 1992 | 16.7% | -1.0% |
| 1993 | 16.6% | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 16.5% | -0.6% |
| 1995 | 21.3% | +29.2% |
| 1996 | 21.5% | +1.0% |
| 1997 | 21.2% | -1.1% |
| 1998 | 21.5% | +1.3% |
| 1999 | 21.5% | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 21.7% | +1.0% |
| 2001 | 21.3% | -1.8% |
| 2002 | 21.0% | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 20.9% | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 20.7% | -1.1% |
| 2005 | 20.6% | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 20.2% | -1.9% |
| 2007 | 19.7% | -2.4% |
| 2008 | 19.2% | -2.4% |
| 2009 | 19.0% | -1.3% |
| 2010 | 18.2% | -4.1% |
| 2011 | 18.6% | +2.2% |
| 2012 | 18.4% | -1.0% |
| 2013 | 18.2% | -1.3% |
| 2014 | 18.1% | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 18.0% | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 18.1% | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 18.0% | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 18.2% | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 18.2% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 17.4% | -4.5% |
| 2021 | 17.2% | -1.0% |
| 2022 | 17.4% | +0.8% |
| 2023 | 17.6% | +1.6% |
France compared with similar countries
- France's 17.6% is below the median for high income countries, which is 18.9%, 93% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
- France's 17.6% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 16.4%, 1.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Employee compensation as share of government spending in France changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | +29.2% | 16.5% | 21.3% |
| 1980 | +25.2% | 16.5% | 20.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 17.6% | 16.5% | 18.5% | 8 |
| 1980s | 18.6% | 17.1% | 20.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 19.1% | 16.5% | 21.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 20.4% | 19.0% | 21.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 18.2% | 18.0% | 18.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.4% | 17.2% | 17.6% | 4 |
Countries ranked near France
More work & labour data for France
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.028 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.0507 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.0063 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.62 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.3323 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 62,374 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 8,235 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 35,191 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 33,294 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 68,485 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employee compensation as share of government spending in France?
- Employee compensation as share of government spending in France was 17.6% in 2023, according to International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest employee compensation as share of government spending recorded in France?
- The highest recorded value was 21.7% in 2000.
- What is the lowest employee compensation as share of government spending recorded in France?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.5% in 1994.
- How does France rank for employee compensation as share of government spending?
- France ranks 108th out of 155 countries with data for 2023.
- Is employee compensation as share of government spending rising or falling in France?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this France data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund (IMF) Government Finance Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Employee compensation as share of government spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 52 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Employee compensation includes wages, in-kind payments, and government contributions to social insurance schemes such as social security and pensions.