Politics · France · 2 hrs ago
France discloses pension costs in each ministry’s 2027 budget
The French government has published a breakdown of pension costs by ministry in an annex to its proposed 2027 budget.
The figures show that 32% of the Education Ministry’s budget, or 28.5 billion euros, will go toward public-sector pensions.
Pensions will take 30% of the Interior Ministry’s budget and about 13% across ministries on average.
The state must balance the public-sector pension account, and fewer than one active public worker supports each pensioner.
France spent 41.5 billion euros in 2025 to balance the scheme, as the gap between contributors and retirees has widened.
The disclosure comes amid debate over claims of a hidden pension deficit, which the Court of Accounts and the Economic Analysis Council have rejected while noting that the accounting is hard to understand.
There is no agreed standard rate for what the state should contribute as an employer, according to the government.
France has published figures showing how much of each ministry’s 2027 budget will go toward civil-service pensions.
The National Education Ministry will devote 32% of its budget, or €28.5 billion of €89.1 billion, to pensions.
The Interior Ministry will allocate 30%, while the average across ministries is about 13%.
The figures appeared in an annex to the 2027 draft budget, in a move the government said would make pension costs clearer.
The state adjusts its employer contributions to keep the public-service pension account balanced amid a declining ratio of contributors to retirees.
- Who
- The French government disclosed the figures for each ministry.
- What
- It published an annex showing the share of ministry budgets spent on civil-service pensions in 2027.
- When
- Tuesday, October 13, 2026.
- Where
- France.
- Why
- The publication aims to make pension costs in ministry budgets clearer. The state also adjusts contributions to keep the public-service pension account balanced.
Those alleging a hidden pension deficit
The government and public bodies rejecting the claim
Whether there is a hidden deficit
Those alleging a hidden pension deficit
François Bayrou and others have alleged a “hidden deficit” in pensions.
The government and public bodies rejecting the claim
The government says the costs were not hidden, though they were difficult to read; the Court of Accounts and the Economic Analysis Council also rejected the allegation.
The law stipulated that the public-service pension account could not run a deficit.
The state paid €41.5 billion to balance the public-service pension system.
The state’s employer contribution rate was 82.26% for civilian staff and 126.07% for military personnel.
The government published a budget annex detailing each ministry’s pension costs for 2027.
- National Education Ministry
- 32% of its 2027 budget
- National Education pension spending
- €28.5 billion of €89.1 billion in planned credits
- Interior Ministry
- 30% of its budget
- Average across ministries
- About 13%
- State spending to balance pensions in 2025
- €41.5 billion
What people are saying
This is the first time a budget annex has shown so clearly the share of spending devoted to pensions in each ministry.
There is no consensus rate.
Sources
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