Pyrénées-Atlantiques · Nouvelle-Aquitaine · 78,375 residents
How much does Pau spend?
Mayor: Jérôme Marbot since March 2026 · 54 town councillors
What the money pays for in Pau
The 2024 operating expenditure — investment aside — sorted this time by public policy rather than by type of spending.
Pau spends 10 % less per inhabitant than towns of 50,000 to 100,000 inhabitants.
Allocated to a public policyShare of budget against towns of the same size102.6 M€
“elsewhere”: what towns the same size usually devotePau devotes a larger share of its budgeta smaller share
- General administration28.9M€28 %elsewhere: 28%same as elsewhere (28%)
- Education and training21.6M€21 %elsewhere: 17%more than elsewhere (17%)
- Regional planning and housing16.3M€16 %elsewhere: 7%more than elsewhere (7%)
- Culture, youth and sports15.7M€15 %elsewhere: 21%less than elsewhere (21%)
- Health and social action8.4M€8 %elsewhere: 13%less than elsewhere (13%)
- Security and public health5.2M€5 %elsewhere: 5%same as elsewhere (5%)
- Transport3.9M€4 %elsewhere: 2%more than elsewhere (2%)
- Economic action1.7M€2 %elsewhere: 1%more than elsewhere (1%)
- Environment1.1M€1 %elsewhere: 3%less than elsewhere (3%)
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.
Spending146.9 M€
Charges de personnel57.9M€39 %Achats et charges externes26.2M€18 %Charges de gestion couranteof which 5.9 M€ of grants to associations and private bodies15.7M€11 %Impôts et taxes (charges)2.4M€2 %Charges financières2M€1 %Revenue157.9 M€
Property tax in Pau
municipal rate on buildings, set in 2025 · unchanged since 2023
Median for towns of its size band: 40.09%.
In 2024, Pau collected 83.7 M€ in property and residence taxes, or 53% of its revenue.
What the town builds
invested in 2024 · €538 per inhabitant
Of which 28.7 M€ of equipment. That is −8.3 % 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 · 124.1 M€ in total
Towns of its size: €1,317 per inhabitant · +18.3 % 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 · 31 contracts
Top supplier: Lafitte Environnement, 6 M€, travaux d’aménagements paysagers
All the town’s contracts (515)
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, 2024, 2025, 2026.
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.