The French public budget › Who spends · 2025
Local authorities
Towns, their groupings, départements and regions: schools, roads, transport, social care, secondary schools.
335.5bn€
spent in 2025
What towns and their groupings pay for, in 2024
185.6 bn€, or 56% of local authorities’ spending.
General administration29%53.7bn€Culture, social life, sport & youth18%33.9bn€Education, training & apprenticeship16%30.6bn€Territorial planning & housing11%20.7bn€Health & social action11%20.0bn€4 more lines, from 11.1 bn€ to 2.0 bn€
Transport, roads & infrastructure6%11.1bn€Security & public hygiene4%8.2bn€Environment3%5.5bn€Economic action1%2.0bn€What départements pay for, in 2024
100.7 bn€, or 30% of local authorities’ spending.
Health & social action60%60.6bn€General administration9%9.4bn€Transport, roads & infrastructure9%9.1bn€Education, training & apprenticeship9%8.7bn€Security & public hygiene4%4.4bn€4 more lines, from 3.0 bn€ to 1.3 bn€
Culture, social life, sport & youth3%3.0bn€Territorial planning & housing3%2.7bn€Environment1%1.4bn€Economic action1%1.3bn€What regions pay for, in 2024
44.1 bn€, or 13% of local authorities’ spending.
Transport, roads & infrastructure35%15.4bn€Education, training & apprenticeship32%14.0bn€General administration15%6.7bn€Economic action7%3.0bn€Culture, social life, sport & youth4%1.6bn€4 more lines, from 1.5 bn€ to 154 M€
Territorial planning & housing3%1.5bn€Health & social action2%952M€Environment2%837M€Security & public hygiene< 1%154M€
Where their money comes from, in 2024
Grants and compensations from the State and other administrations60.5bn€19%Property tax and other taxes on land and buildings57.2bn€18%VAT share passed to local government52.1bn€17%Sales and services48.5bn€16%Capital transfers received (investment grants…)19.3bn€6%The 10 others
Excise and consumption taxes16.3bn€5%Property transfer duties and transaction taxes14.7bn€5%Mobility levy and other payroll taxes12.2bn€4%Taxes on insurance premiums9.7bn€3%Other taxes on products8.1bn€3%Other transfers received (EU funds, fines, claims…)4.7bn€2%Property income (dividends, interest, rents)4.4bn€1%Other current taxes (housing tax…)3.6bn€1%Employer's share of its own staff pensions (imputed)906M€< 1%Other taxes on production521M€< 1%Source: Eurostat, government accounts 2025 ↗, Eurostat, government accounts 2024 ↗, Local finance observatory (OFGL), 2025 accounts ↗, Local finance observatory (OFGL), 2025 report ↗.