The institution calls for “awareness and rapid responses” to the unprecedented surge in debt, which reached 3,536.1 billion euros in the first quarter of 2026.
The Court of Auditors published, this Thursday, June 25, 2026, a report on the situation and prospects of French public finances. According to this document, public debt reached an unprecedented level, crossing the mark of 3,536.1 billion euros in the first quarter of 2026, or 117.5% of gross domestic product (GDP). This figure, communicated in the morning by INSEE, marks a new stage in the progression of the country’s debt.
Debt at an unprecedented level
At the end of 2025, public debt amounted to 3,460.5 billion euros, or 115.6% of GDP. In three months, it therefore increased by 75.6 billion euros, bringing the ratio to 117.5%. This level exceeds the previous record observed in 2020, at the height of the health crisis, while in 2007, public debt did not exceed 65% of GDP. France now has the third highest debt in the euro zone, behind Greece and Italy.
Faced with this situation, the Court of Auditors calls for “awareness and rapid responses”. The institution warns that 2026 is “again a year at risk”, due to the continued rise in debt and the lack of sufficient reduction in the annual deficit. It is precisely this inability to reduce the deficit which fuels the progression of the debt, she underlines, warning of the medium and long term consequences for the sustainability of public finances and the capacity of the State to finance its policies.
By publishing this report, the Court intends to place the question of debt at the center of public debate and insists on the need to quickly take measures to stem this dynamic.
