PARIS, March 27 (Xinhua) -- France's public deficit stood at 152.5 billion euros (about 165 billion U.S. dollars) in 2025, equivalent to 5.1 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), narrowing from 5.8 percent in 2024 and 5.4 percent in 2023, according to figures released Friday by National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (Insee).
Insee said the improvement was driven by faster revenue growth and slower spending increases. Government revenues rose by 3.9 percent in 2025, accelerating from a 3.2 percent increase in 2024, while expenditures grew by 2.5 percent in current euros, down from a 4.0 percent rise the previous year.
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu welcomed the 5.1 percent deficit figure on social media platform X on Friday, saying it was better than expected compared with a previously projected 5.4 percent.
Speaking at a meeting on public finances the same day, Lecornu said what is happening in the Middle East is concerning and that this context is weighing heavily on public financing prospects.
He added that the geopolitical situation would continue to play a role, but the government would proceed cautiously with the aim of bringing the deficit below 5 percent in 2026.
Heightened global uncertainty has followed large-scale U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, which have pushed up oil prices and unsettled the global economy. ■