A final assembly line for Airbus H160 helicopters, at Airbus Helicopters' facility in the Mediterranean coastal town of Marignane, on July 24, 2025. CHRISTOPHE SIMON/AFP
In the end, France's 2025 economic growth exceeded expectations, albeit only slightly. The economy grew by 0.9% in 2025, despite political and international instability, budgetary uncertainty, and a slowdown in gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the fourth quarter compared to the year before (+0.2% versus +0.5%), according to figures published by the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE) on Friday, January 30. That was slightly higher than the 0.7% growth initially forecast, but still below the 1.1% and 1.6% growth rates achieved in 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Paradoxically, despite the imposition of American tariffs and their impacts on global trade, French growth was driven by foreign trade in 2025, contrary to the two previous years, according to Marie Leclair, head of the INSEE's national accounts department. Exports were particularly strong over the last two quarters of the year, boosted mainly by the aerospace, shipbuilding and digital services sectors.
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French economy's unexpected rebound, driven by aircraft, pharmaceutical, defense exports
