France’s GDP resumed slight colors in the first quarter of 2025, after a drop at the end of last year – Liberation
The growth of French economic activity was 0.1 % in the first quarter, confirmed INSEE this Wednesday, May 28. This is a slight rebound after a decline of 0.1 % in the fourth quarter of 2024. This growth was marked by a decline of 0.2 % of household consumption, despite an increase of + 0.1 % in the previous quarter, fired by a 4 % drop in transport equipment, after + 2.5 %.
The investment remains stable, as in the fourth quarter of 2024: investment in construction is falling again, of -0.9 % after -0.5 % at the end of 2024, compensated by information and communication investment ( + 2.0 % after + 0.5 %). Excluding domestic demand thus negatively contributes to GDP growth this quarter (-0.1 point after + 0.2 point).
Likewise for foreign trade (-0.8 points after stability), with a strong decline in exports (-1.8 % after + 0.7 %), particularly due to a marked drop in exports of transport and chemicals. Imports increased by 0.5 % after + 0.6 %, especially those of gas and electricity.
These are the stocks, these goods produced but not yet sold at the end of a given period, which derive growth in the first quarter, with a positive contribution from a point after a decline of 0.3 points at the end of 2024, notes the National Institute of Statistics. Their increase can have two different senses. A positive sense: we anticipate an increase in demand. Or a negative sense: the produced products have not found takers.
The purchasing power of gross disposable income (RDB) of households per unit of consumption also continued to progress in the first quarter: ( + 0.1 % after already + 0.1 %). And the household savings rate increases again: it was 18.8 % of their disposable income in the first quarter, after 18.5 % in the previous quarter.
