In 2024, social benefits accelerate in France and in the EU-27
Expenditure on social benefits (cash benefits or benefits in kind) continues to grow in 2024, at a more sustained pace than in previous years. In France, it increases by 4.8 % in current euros in 2024 (after +4.1 % in 2023 and +1.5 % in 2022), reaching €932.5 billion, while at the level of the EU-27 as a whole it rises by 6.9 % (after +6.5 % in 2023 and +2.7 % in 2022).
Social protection benefits grow faster than inflation
Inflation stood at 2.3% in France and 2.6 % in Europe in 2024, lower than in 2023 (5.7 % and 6.4 %, respectively). Social benefits, which in some countries including France are uprated on the basis of price developments in the previous year, increased at a faster pace than inflation in 2024. Social benefit expenditure grew faster than GDP in both France and Europe, for the first time since the historic peak reached in 2020 during the COVID-19 crisis. In 2024, the share of social protection expenditure in GDP therefore rose by 0.4 percentage points in France and by 0.6 percentage points in Europe. According to the first country-level estimates (“early estimates”), Finland would be the EU-27 country with the highest social protection expenditure in 2024.
Figure – Share of social protection benefits in GDP in France and Europe between 2019 and 2024
Share as a % of GDP
Note > In 2024, social protection benefits account for 31.9 % of GDP in France and 27.3 % of GDP on average in the European Union (EU-27).
Sources > Drees, Social Protection Accounts (CPS); Eurostat, SESPROS; INSEE, national accounts.
Social protection expenditure is driven by pension and health spending, which account for four fifths of social benefits
Old age/Survivors and Health risks, which together represent 80 % of total social benefit expenditure, explain most of the increase in social protection spending in 2024. Population ageing, observed across Europe, contributes to these developments, particularly to the rise in pension expenditure, despite the reforms implemented in many countries. In France, increases in physicians’ fees and higher pharmaceutical spending—especially linked to innovative treatments—also contribute to the growth in health expenditure.
Expenditure increases for all risks, except poverty and social exclusion, due to the withdrawal of anti‑inflation measures
Although 2024 is marked by a decline in inflation to more moderate levels compared with previous years, expenditure related to Old age/Survivors, Employment, Housing, and Family risks continues to rise in most countries, notably due to indexation mechanisms whose effects occur with a time lag. By contrast, expenditure related to poverty and social exclusion declines, reflecting the withdrawal of certain exceptional measures that had been introduced to help the most vulnerable households cope with rising prices—for instance the exceptional energy voucher in France.
In France, the average amount of social benefits amounts to around €13,650 per capita in 2024
Overall, in France, the average amount of social benefits reaches €13,650 per capita in 2024, a 2.2 % increase in real terms compared with 2023. Old age/Survivors’ benefits remain the largest component, averaging €6,250 per capita in 2024 (46 % of the total). Social protection benefits per capita are higher in France than on average in the EU-27 (€12,200 in purchasing power parity [PPP] per capita in 2024), but lower than in countries such as Austria, Germany, Denmark, and Luxembourg, where per capita expenditure is the highest in Europe (€24,300 PPP).
In 2024, social protection resources continue to slow down
In 2024, social protection resources continue to slow down in France for the third consecutive year (+3.9 % in 2024 after +4.7 % in 2023 and +5.0 % in 2022). This weaker growth is explained by the sharp slowdown in public contributions: +1.5 % in 2024 compared with +5.7 % in 2023. Public contributions react more immediately to changes in inflation, unlike social benefits, whose uprating occurs with a time lag. At the same time, social contributions (+4.6 % after +4.7 %) and earmarked taxes (+3.5 % after +3.3 %) maintain a strong pace of growth.
Acces the publication (French)
The Drees analyzes the results of the social protection accounts less than one year after the end of the year covered by the publication. Accordingly, this 2025 edition provides a detailed analysis of developments observed between 2019 and 2024. Methodological work was carried out to produce, despite a tight timetable, a publication that is as detailed as possible while maintaining the same quality standards.
The social protection accounts, compiled by the Drees, are one of the satellite accounts of INSEE’s national accounts and follow the same methodology. They also serve as the basis for the social protection accounts presented in international fora (the European System of Integrated Social Protection Statistics [SESPROS] of Eurostat), thereby making it possible to carry out international comparisons on reliable and harmonized bases.