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The downgrade came outside of Moody's regular review schedule for France

Moody's hands France surprise downgrade over its finances

Credit ratings agency Moody's has unexpectedly downgraded France's rating, adding pressure on the country's new prime minister to corral divided lawmakers into backing his efforts to rein in the strained public finances.

Business • 16 Dec 24

The French government's 2025 budget contained plans for €60 billion of spending cuts and tax hikes focused on the wealthy and big companies to tackle a soaring fiscal deficit

French government defends budget 2025 squeeze

France's government said today its 2025 belt-tightening budget was necessary to rein in its "colossal" debt burden as it faced criticism from the right and left for demanding unfair sacrifices on the French.

Business • 11 Oct 24

France's economy grew 0.2% in the second quarter of 2024, while inflation eased in August, new CSO figures show

French Q2 economic growth revised down to 0.2%

France's economy grew 0.2% in the second quarter of 2024, official data from the country's statistics office INSEE showed today, revising down the preliminary figure of 0.3% published in July.

Business • 30 Aug 24

France, the euro zone's second-largest economy, has been banking on the Games to bolster its tepid growth rate.

French economy gets boost in August from Olympics

France's economy benefited in August from a pick-up in business due to the Olympic Games as a sharp upswing in the country's services sector offset ongoing weakness in manufacturing, a survey shows.

Business • 22 Aug 24

The Olympic Games, currently underway in Paris, will likely boost French growth this year, INSEE said earlier this month

France's economy grew 0.3% in Q2, early data shows

France's economy grew marginally faster than expected in the second quarter as the delivery of a cruise ship boosted exports, offsetting flat consumer spending, official data showed today.

Business • 30 Jul 24

Growth in France, the euro zone's second-biggest economy, rose by 0.2% in the first three months of the year after a 0.1% growth in the fourth quarter of 2023

Consumer spending, investment boosts French Q1 growth

The French economy gained momentum in the first quarter, growing slightly faster than expected thanks to a pick-up in consumer spending and business investment, official data published today showed.

Business • 30 Apr 24

French consumer prices rose 0.7% in May for a 12-month inflation rate of 5.8%

French economy shrinks as inflation dents confidence

France's economy contracted in the first quarter under the impact of soaring inflation, data showed today, increasing the risks for President Emmanuel Macron in key parliament elections less than two weeks away.

Business • 31 May 22

While a slowdown in France had been expected, the first quarter reading was worse than expectations

French economy stalls in Q1, inflation hits new record

France's economic growth unexpectedly flatlined in the first quarter as consumer spending dropped in the face of record high inflation, official data showed today, putting pressure on President Emmanuel Macron ahead of legislative elections.

Business • 29 Apr 22

The French economy, the euro zone's second biggest, grew 1.1% in the three months to the end of June

French second quarter growth revised up to 1.1%

The French economy rebounded slightly more strongly than first thought in the second quarter as consumer spending recovered after a coronavirus lockdown, the INSEE official statistics agency said today.

Business • 31 Aug 21

France has a 6% growth target for the whole of 2021

French economy 'doing well' - Finance Minister

The French economy is "doing well" thanks to a rise in consumer spending and even in spite of restrictions still in place to tackle the coronavirus, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said today.

Business • 23 Aug 21

France is the euro zone's second biggest economy

France fell into recession in Q1, revised GDP data show

France's economy contracted 0.1% in the first quarter of 2021, revised official data showed today, marking a slip into recession as it struggled to recover from a pandemic-induced downturn.

Business • 28 May 21

French GDP edged up 0.4% in the first quarter of 2021 from the final three months of 2020

French economy returns to growth despite virus curbs

The French economy returned to growth in the first quarter, sustained by consumer spending even after Covid-19 restritions were re-imposed to curb a surge in infections.

Business • 30 Apr 21

The euro zone's second-biggest economy shrank 1.3% in the final three months of last year

France economy contracts less than expected in Q4

The French economy lurched back into contraction in the final quarter of last year but not as much as expected after the country faced a second coronavirus lockdown, official data released today showed.

Business • 29 Jan 21

Germany's Ifo institute said its business climate index rose to 93.4 from a downwardly revised 92.5 in August

Business morale brightens in Germany, France

Business morale in Germany and France improved for the fifth month in a row in September, boosting hopes that the euro zone's two biggest economies had enjoyed a solid recovery from the coronavirus shock suffered in the first half of the year.

Business • 24 Sep 20

The French economy slumped by a record 13.8% in the second quarter due to Covid-19

France suffers record GDP plunge in second quarter

France's economy slumped by a record 13.8% in the second quarter as businesses bore the brunt of a strict coronavirus lockdown that slammed consumer spending, the INSEE statistics agency said today.

Business • 31 Jul 20

The French economy is currently running 'at roughly four-fifths of its pre-crisis level' compared to two-thirds during the lockdown period

France GDP could fall 'around 20%' in second quarter

France's economy could contract by around 20% in the second quarter as lockdown measures meant to slow the spread of the coronavirus slashed activity, the national statistics agency INSEE said today.

Business • 27 May 20

Today's GDP figures were the worst quarterly performance since the Insee statistics agency began charting French GDP in 1949

France in recession as virus-hit economy shrinks 5.8%

The French economy officially fell into recession after contracting 5.8% in the first quarter, the national statistics office said today.

Business • 30 Apr 20

France's central bank said that in the last two weeks of March, as the Covid-19 crisis deepened, economic activity plunged 32%

French economy shrinks 6% in Q1 - Bank of France

In its worst performance since 1945, the French economy shrank around 6% in the first quarter of this year as the coronavirus pandemic decimated business activity, the Bank of France said today.

Business • 08 Apr 20

France heading for worst recession since World War 2

France is facing its deepest recession since the end of World War II because of the widespread lockdown to stem the coronavirus crisis, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire warned today.

Business • 06 Apr 20

The French economy was hit by crippling strikes over the government's pension reforms

French 2019 growth slumps to 1.2% as strikes take toll

French economic growth fell to 1.2% in 2019, lower than expected, as activity shrank in the last quarter amid crippling strikes over the government's pension reforms, official figures showed today.

Business • 31 Jan 20

France, the euro zone's second-biggest economy, grew by 0.3% in the three months from July to September

French Q3 growth steady as increased consumer spending

The French economy maintained a steady cruising speed in the third quarter as consumer spending picked up on strong purchasing power growth, official data showed today.

Business • 29 Nov 19

Protests against increased taxes and falling living standards caused widespread disruption in France in the last quarter of 2018

French growth slows to 1.5% in 2018

French economic growth slowed to 1.5% last year from 2.3% in 2017, hit by weaker consumer demand amid the turmoil of end-year "yellow vest" protests, official figures showed today.

Business • 30 Jan 19

Paris saw the worst unrest in decades from 'yellow vest' demonstrators during crucial, pre-Christmas shopping days

French unrest hits business confidence, growth hopes

French business confidence plunged to a more than two-year low in December after violent anti-government protests as the economy closes the year on a rough note, official data showed.

Business • 21 Dec 18

France's central bank expects inflation to reach 2.1%, a trend which could alarm consumers already worried about eroded spending power

French central bank trims 2018 growth forecast

The French economy is expected to expand by 1.6% this year, the country's central bank said today, well short of the 2% goal originally set by the government for this year.

Business • 14 Sep 18

French economic growth slowed to 0.2% in the first quarter of 2018

French Q1 growth confirmed to have slowed down to 0.2%

French economic growth slowed to 0.2% in the first quarter of this year from 0.7% in the previous three months, the country's national INSEE statistics agency said today, confirming its earlier estimate.

Business • 22 Jun 18

French Economy