{
  "title": "Spending Efficiency and Reforms: France",
  "publication": "Selected Issues Papers, February 28, 2023",
  "sourceUrl": "https://www.imf.org/en/publications/selected-issues-papers/issues/2023/03/01/spending-efficiency-and-reforms-france-530379",
  "canonical": "https://www.imf.org/en/publications/selected-issues-papers/issues/2023/03/01/spending-efficiency-and-reforms-france-530379",
  "overlayPath": "/en/publications/selected-issues-papers/issues/2023/03/01/spending-efficiency-and-reforms-france-530379/index.md",
  "summary": "To rebuild fiscal buffers after large fiscal responses to successive shocks over 2020-22, France will need to reverse the trend spending increase observed over the last three decades through structural spending reforms.",
  "sections": [
    {
      "heading": "Overview",
      "content": "- Purpose: To identify areas where scope for savings or efficiency gains exist in France to rebuild fiscal buffers after large fiscal responses to successive shocks over 2020-22.\n- Key conclusion: France will need to reverse the trend spending increase observed over the last three decades through structural spending reforms.\n- Sectors examined: social protection, health, education, civil service, and tax expenditures.\n- Objective of reforms: Preserve or improve outcomes while generating savings to help meet medium-term adjustment needs."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Analytical approach",
      "content": "- Comparative evaluation of the level and efficiency of public spending in France relative to European peers.\n- Methods used:\n  - Benchmarking analysis.\n  - Stochastic frontier analysis to derive efficiency frontiers."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Main findings",
      "content": "- There exist areas where savings or efficiency gains are feasible based on benchmarking and frontier analysis.\n- Target areas for reform include:\n  - Social protection.\n  - Health.\n  - Education.\n  - Civil service.\n  - Tax expenditures (rationalization)."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Policy recommendations",
      "content": "- Implement structural spending reforms aimed at reversing the multi-decade trend of rising spending.\n- Reform social protection, health, education, and civil service systems to preserve or improve outcomes while reducing costs.\n- Rationalize tax expenditures to improve fiscal space without undermining policy objectives.\n- Use identified efficiency gains and savings to rebuild fiscal buffers and meet medium-term adjustment needs."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Key statistics and publication identifiers",
      "content": "- Publication date: February 28, 2023\n- Pages: 32\n- Volume: 2023\n- Issue: 014\n- DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9798400236334.018\n- ISBN: 9798400236334\n- ISSN: 2958-7875\n- Stock No: SIPEA2023014\n\nSource: Spending Efficiency and Reforms: France, Selected Issues Paper No. 2023/014 (DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9798400236334.018).\n\n---\n\n Content in this bundle\n\n- Spending Efficiency and Reforms: France; Selected Issues Paper No. 2023/014; January 10, 2023\n  - Spending Efficiency and Reforms: France; Selected Issues Paper No. 2023/014; January 10, 2023 (Markdown version){rel=\"alternate\" type=\"text/markdown\"}\n  - Spending Efficiency and Reforms: France; Selected Issues Paper No. 2023/014; January 10, 2023 (PDF){rel=\"external\" type=\"application/pdf\"}\n\n---\n\nSource: https://www.imf.org/en/publications/selected-issues-papers/issues/2023/03/01/spending-efficiency-and-reforms-france-530379"
    }
  ],
  "bullets": [
    "[Markdown version](/en/publications/selected-issues-papers/issues/2023/03/01/spending-efficiency-and-reforms-france-530379/index.md)",
    "[Structured JSON version](/en/publications/selected-issues-papers/issues/2023/03/01/spending-efficiency-and-reforms-france-530379/index.json)",
    "[Bundle manifest](/en/publications/selected-issues-papers/issues/2023/03/01/spending-efficiency-and-reforms-france-530379/bundle-manifest.json)",
    "Authors: Iulia Ruxandra Teodoru, Ruud Vermeulen",
    "Published: February 28, 2023",
    "Series: Selected Issues Papers",
    "DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9798400236334.018",
    "Purpose: To identify areas where scope for savings or efficiency gains exist in France to rebuild fiscal buffers after large fiscal responses to successive shocks over 2020-22.",
    "Key conclusion: France will need to reverse the trend spending increase observed over the last three decades through structural spending reforms.",
    "Sectors examined: social protection, health, education, civil service, and tax expenditures.",
    "Objective of reforms: Preserve or improve outcomes while generating savings to help meet medium-term adjustment needs.",
    "Comparative evaluation of the level and efficiency of public spending in France relative to European peers.",
    "Methods used:",
    "There exist areas where savings or efficiency gains are feasible based on benchmarking and frontier analysis.",
    "Target areas for reform include:",
    "Implement structural spending reforms aimed at reversing the multi-decade trend of rising spending.",
    "Reform social protection, health, education, and civil service systems to preserve or improve outcomes while reducing costs.",
    "Rationalize tax expenditures to improve fiscal space without undermining policy objectives.",
    "Use identified efficiency gains and savings to rebuild fiscal buffers and meet medium-term adjustment needs.",
    "Publication date: February 28, 2023",
    "Pages: 32",
    "Volume: 2023",
    "Issue: 014",
    "DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9798400236334.018",
    "ISBN: 9798400236334",
    "ISSN: 2958-7875",
    "Stock No: SIPEA2023014",
    "**Spending Efficiency and Reforms: France; Selected Issues Paper No. 2023/014; January 10, 2023**"
  ],
  "related": [
    {
      "title": "Spending Efficiency and Reforms: France; Selected Issues Paper No. 2023/014; January 10, 2023",
      "role": "document",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.imf.org/-/media/files/publications/selected-issues-papers/2023/english/sipea2023014.pdf",
      "summary": {
        "path": "/-/media/files/publications/selected-issues-papers/2023/english/sipea2023014.pdf.md",
        "mime": "text/markdown"
      },
      "binary": {
        "path": "/-/media/files/publications/selected-issues-papers/2023/english/sipea2023014.pdf",
        "mime": "application/pdf"
      }
    }
  ],
  "alternates": {
    "markdown": "/en/publications/selected-issues-papers/issues/2023/03/01/spending-efficiency-and-reforms-france-530379/index.md",
    "json": "/en/publications/selected-issues-papers/issues/2023/03/01/spending-efficiency-and-reforms-france-530379/index.json",
    "bundleManifest": "/en/publications/selected-issues-papers/issues/2023/03/01/spending-efficiency-and-reforms-france-530379/bundle-manifest.json"
  },
  "generatedAtUtc": "2026-09-20T18:57:23.945Z"
}