France has the highest social spending of any country in the world
chloe@Dykeocletian
Oct 17
A nice old building burns, and so the pearl-clutching begins. Where were these pearl clutchers when austerity was wrecking a generation? Why does one town hall grab their attention but millions of schools, hospitals, and homes dilapidated by neoliberalism are of no importance?
Community note
France's level of public social spending was third highest in the world at 30.6% of GDP in 2024. Excluding the pandemic, it is slightly down from its 31.9% high in 2014. Total public spending is 57.2%, second highest among large countries not at war and near all-time highs. ourworldindata.org/grapher/social… ourworldindata.org/grapher/histor…

Oct 19, 2026 · 1:33 AM UTC

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Replying to @zagrebbi
And the most inefficient way to spend this state money.
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Yes!
Werner Zagrebbi
@zagrebbi
Jul 9
There is literally zero correlation between how much a school district spends and how well its students perform
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Replying to @zagrebbi
does this include state/province level spending as well?
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Replying to @zagrebbi @DrewPavlou
I just don’t think Islam and destroying the kuffar are the motivation. When I went to the Cannes this summer the entire economy was basically immigrants. You barely see a Frenchmen. Also the cab drivers all have masters degrees from France in English lit or business or whatever. It’s very odd. All Algerian too! Like I had my cab driver tell me about Camus and Kateb yacine! It seems you didn’t get cognitive stratification for the immigrants. Americans and britons tend to project our social system which is fairly open to the global south onto the rest of Europe. That’s not really the case.
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All this means is that they invest way too much in education
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Replying to @zagrebbi @mattbilinsky
And yet the recipients of this spending are just as furious and enraged as they have ever been, and probably more so. The welfare state will never generate social peace.
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Replying to @zagrebbi
And they have nothing to show for it. They have a lot of ghettos and a lot of unproductive citizens. Beyond a certain level of spending, the welfare state doesn't benefit the country and might even be counter-productive
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Replying to @zagrebbi
How dare you use data and logic in a debate about classes and unfairness. Don’t you know that feelings are the only input allowed?
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Replying to @zagrebbi
Highest spending+ one of the poorest pisa performance as well. Immigrants especially score 50 points lower than native french and bring france below the oecd average .
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Replying to @zagrebbi
Also the highest corporate tax in Europe. They don't have a tax or revenue problem. They have an entitlement problem.
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Replying to @zagrebbi
You can have the highest social spending in the world and Bolsheviks will still talk about "austerity". Bolsheviks lie. Their only goal is to destroy and murder good people.
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Replying to @zagrebbi
And still it is not enough. It will never be enough.
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Replying to @zagrebbi
Everyone has the courage to hate the rich, but do you have the courage to hate the poor
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Replying to @zagrebbi
The problem is they keep blaming neoliberalism and the rich, because that's what their echo chamber says, but they never think it's the millions of immigrants who come to the country and live on benefits. They've overburdened the system. Social safety nets are unsustainable with open borders. Immigrants break the system for everyone.
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Replying to @zagrebbi
Wow that sure is alot of 3rd world in france
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Replying to @zagrebbi
A clear example of always follow the money.
Brother Rachid الأخ رشيد
@BrotherRasheed
Oct 18
FRANCE IS DROWNING IN DEBT. BUT LOOK AT ITS PRIORITIES! France recorded a staggering €152.5 BILLION budget deficit in 2025. Its national debt has climbed to approximately €3.6 TRILLION. Now follow the money. In 2024, France spent: €65.8 BILLION on family benefits €51.1 BILLION on unemployment and employment support €16.1 BILLION on housing assistance €11.9 BILLION on RSA (minimum-income assistance) TOTAL: €144.9 BILLION! Meanwhile: Education: €149 billion Defense: approximately €54 billion Four categories of social benefits cost almost as much as the entire public education system and nearly THREE TIMES the defense budget. NOW HERE'S THE IMMIGRATION QUESTION FRANCE CANNOT AFFORD TO IGNORE. Roughly HALF of all immigrants in France were born in Africa. Including their French-born children, people with a direct African immigrant background represent approximately 11% of France's population, excluding later generations. According to INSEE's 2021 figures: 35.9% of African-born immigrants lived in poverty, compared with 12.7% of non-immigrants. Immigrants received an average of €2,410 in annual social assistance per consumption unit, compared with €1,530 for non-immigrants. African-born immigrants received €3,110; more than DOUBLE the non-immigrant average. And these assistance figures don't even include retirement pensions or unemployment insurance. France has a serious problem: enormous deficits, massive social spending, and an immigration failing policy. The questions are: How are they going to fix this? Is it even fixable at this stage?
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Replying to @zagrebbi @LittleMermaidKV
South Africa is 1 taxpayer to more than 3 grant recipients. France 1 taxpayer to almost 2 grant recipients. Burden on taxpayers in SA is much higher.
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Replying to @zagrebbi
Okay so? That means the number should KEEP going up. Make social spending 90% and give a home TO THE PEOPLE BEING GENOCIDED IN GAZA FOR FUCKS SAKE
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Replying to @zagrebbi
This does not end well… they can’t spend more…. they are broke…. and reducing spending will lead to an increase in what is unfolding!!!! Good luck France!!!!🇫🇷 The Left have literally destroyed your future!! 🤷🏼‍♂️
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Replying to @zagrebbi
But France spends way more on intergenerational transfers than other countries. High headline numbers can coexist with underinvestment in programs for working-age people
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Replying to @zagrebbi
"homes dilapidated by neoliberalism" Apparently it's the governments job to fix your house.
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Replying to @zagrebbi @DrewPavlou
More than the USSR
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Replying to @zagrebbi
They just spend all the money for the boomers retirement - what do you expect
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Replying to @zagrebbi
Plus, paid vacation is guaranteed, and French workers have more labor rights. But here we see the far left starting to lie to destabilize a government.
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Replying to @zagrebbi
France is on a collision course with the bond market. Paris wants the ECB to force austerity so politicians can blame outsiders. People already find life intolerable. What happens when they realize even this was living above their means?
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Replying to @zagrebbi
This is not funding schools and hospitals
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Replying to @zagrebbi
Yed, because of pensions.
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Replying to @zagrebbi
And private schools get more money than public ones. Next subject please this is devoid of actual meaning without precise spendings detailed.
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