Nord · Hauts-de-France · 88,024 residents
How much does Dunkerque spend?
Mayor: Patrice Vergriete since March 2026 · 53 town councillors
What the money pays for in Dunkerque
The 2024 operating expenditure — investment aside — sorted this time by public policy rather than by type of spending.
Dunkerque spends 8 % less per inhabitant than towns of 50,000 to 100,000 inhabitants.
Allocated to a public policyShare of budget against towns of the same size117 M€
“elsewhere”: what towns the same size usually devoteDunkerque devotes a larger share of its budgeta smaller share
- General administration35.4M€30 %elsewhere: 28%more than elsewhere (28%)
- Culture, youth and sports24.9M€21 %elsewhere: 21%same as elsewhere (21%)
- Education and training20M€17 %elsewhere: 17%same as elsewhere (17%)
- Health and social action11.6M€10 %elsewhere: 13%less than elsewhere (13%)
- Environment8.7M€7 %elsewhere: 3%more than elsewhere (3%)
- Regional planning and housing6.4M€5 %elsewhere: 7%less than elsewhere (7%)
- Security and public health5.7M€5 %elsewhere: 5%same as elsewhere (5%)
- Economic action3.9M€3 %elsewhere: 1%more than elsewhere (1%)
- Transport481k€0 %elsewhere: 2%less than elsewhere (2%)
Shares are computed on the allocated amount, excluding transfers. “Elsewhere”: the median share of towns the same size — half devote more, half less. Source: DGFiP accounting balances.
Spending and revenue
What the town pays for: staff, purchases, debt. 2019–2024 trend on each line.
Spending162.3 M€
Charges de personnel73.4M€45 %Achats et charges externes23.5M€14 %Charges de gestion couranteof which 9.8 M€ of grants to associations and private bodies18.8M€12 %Charges financières1.9M€1 %Impôts et taxes (charges)1.8M€1 %Revenue170.5 M€
Property tax in Dunkerque
municipal rate on buildings, set in 2025 · down since 2023
Median for towns of its size band: 40.09%.
In 2024, Dunkerque collected 68.3 M€ in property and residence taxes, or 40% of its revenue.
What the town builds
invested in 2024 · €479 per inhabitant
Of which 35.2 M€ of equipment. That is +8.1 % compared with 2023.
Investment section of the town’s accounts. The rest is funded by the savings made on day-to-day operations.
Debt
per inhabitant at end of 2024 · 80.4 M€ in total
Towns of its size: €1,317 per inhabitant · +0.1 % per inhabitant since 2018
Outstanding debt and gross savings: OFGL, main budget. The number of years is the debt-repayment capacity, debt divided by gross savings.
What the town buys
in public contracts awarded in 2026 · 164 contracts
Top supplier: Dalkia, 22.9 M€, exploitation des installations de chauffage de ventilation de froid de production eau chaude sanitaire et traitement…
All the town’s contracts (2,324)
Marchés de plus de 40 000 € HT déclarés à la notification (DECP) : montants des contrats, pas les paiements. Les plus petits marchés ne sont pas publiés ; les montants manifestement erronés sont écartés. Years published by the town: 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025, 2026. Years set aside, amounts out of scale: 2024.
Compare with another town
Per inhabitant, 2024 accounts, OFGL. Towns of the same département, by size. A town above or below is not better or worse run. Property-tax rate: municipal share only, excluding the inter-municipal body and additional levies, source REI DGFiP.