Where do my taxes go?
Enter what you pay each year in taxes: we split it using the real structure of French public spending (INSEE).
- Social protection (pensions, family, unemployment) —41 %
- Health (hospitals, health insurance) —16 %
- General public services (incl. debt interest) —11 %
- Economic affairs (transport, energy, subsidies) —10 %
- Education —10 %
- Public order and safety —3 %
- Defence —3 %
- Recreation, culture, religion —2 %
- Housing and community amenities —2 %
- Environmental protection —2 %
Breakdown by COFOG functional classification (INSEE, 2024 public spending). Educational approximation.
How to read this
In France, nearly 60% of public spending goes to social protection and health. The rest is split between the economy, education, security, defence and debt servicing. This calculator applies that breakdown to the amount you enter: it is not a personal tax calculation, but a way to picture what public money collectively pays for.
Frequently asked questions
- What is France’s biggest public spending item?
- Social protection (pensions, family, unemployment, etc.) alone accounts for about 41% of public spending, far ahead of health (16%).
- How much goes to debt interest?
- Debt interest sits within “general public services” (about 11%). On its own, debt servicing is around €60 billion in 2025 and exceeds the defence budget from 2026.
- Does this match my taxes exactly?
- No. It is an educational approximation: the amount you enter is split using the structure of public spending (INSEE/COFOG). Your taxes are not earmarked item by item in reality.
Read more: where the state budget goes · the debt clock
Source: INSEE — public spending by function.