France’s economy contracted by 0.1% quarter-on-quarter in Q1 2026, compared with preliminary estimates of a flat reading and reversing a 0.2% expansion in Q4. This marked the first contraction since Q2 2020, as foreign trade weighed heavily on growth, subtracting 0.9 percentage points, with exports falling sharply (-3.5% vs +0.9% in Q4) while imports also declined (-0.9% vs -1.0%). Final domestic demand excluding inventories also contributed negatively (-0.2pp vs +0.2), reflecting weaker household consumption (-0.2% vs +0.3%), weighed down by a sharp drop in goods spending (-0.7%), while services were unchanged at +0.2%. Gross fixed capital formation also contracted (-0.6% vs +0.2%), driven by a steep fall in construction investment (-1.7%). In contrast, changes in inventories provided a strong offset, adding +1.0 percentage point after -0.7 in the previous quarter. On a yearly basis, GDP expanded 0.9%, lower than initial estimates of 1.1% and slowing from 1.3% in Q4. source: INSEE, France
The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in France contracted 0.10 percent in the first quarter of 2026 over the previous quarter. GDP Growth Rate in France averaged 0.75 percent from 1949 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 15.10 percent in the third quarter of 2020 and a record low of -12.20 percent in the second quarter of 2020. This page provides the latest reported value for - France GDP Growth Rate - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news. France GDP Growth Rate - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on June of 2026.
The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in France contracted 0.10 percent in the first quarter of 2026 over the previous quarter. GDP Growth Rate in France is expected to be 0.20 percent by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the France GDP Growth Rate is projected to trend around 0.30 percent in 2027 and 0.40 percent in 2028, according to our econometric models.