Bonuses now represent more than a quarter of civil servants' compensation. Out of a total payroll of €76,5 billion in 2025, bonuses accounted for €19,1 billion, compared to approximately €12 billion in 2015, representing an increase of over 60% in ten years. Nearly two million civil servants are covered by 543 different bonus schemes. Between 2020 and 2025, their average bonus compensation increased by 32,7%, while their base salary rose by only 6,6%. The disparities are considerable across different government departments: bonuses represent 19% of compensation at the Ministry of National Education, compared to 67% at the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.
This trend stems from successive governments' choices to prioritize targeted measures to offset inflation or address recruitment difficulties, rather than increasing the value of the index point. This value has remained frozen for three years, despite demands from unions who are preparing a mobilization at the end of September. As the 2027 budget approaches, the General Inspectorate of Finance is therefore seeking to assess the effectiveness of each compensation scheme and identify potential savings. It notes, in particular, a lack of transparency, insufficient data sharing, and significant disparities between the practices of different ministries.
Costly compensation whose effectiveness remains difficult to measure
The overseas residence allowance represents the main potential source of savings identified. It cost €486 million in 2025 for 6,299 beneficiaries, primarily staff members of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Its average amount is approximately €77,000 gross per person per year. Intended to compensate for local living conditions and the constraints associated with working outside France, it sometimes exceeds the actual expenses incurred. The Inspectorate General of Finance (IGF) therefore recommends a detailed, country-by-country assessment to adjust the amounts. The report also questions the continued use of the teleworking allowance, paid to 243,000 employees at an annual cost of €30 million, proposing a distinction between mandatory teleworking and teleworking chosen by the employee.
The sustainable mobility allowance, which benefits 231,000 employees and represents €63 million annually, is also under review due to insufficient data on its actual impact on commuting patterns. More broadly, the Inspectorate General of Finance (IGF) estimates that the 2014 reform, known as RIFSEEP, reduced the number of bonuses from 628 to 543, but also resulted in additional costs when certain schemes were revalued. The inspectors propose limiting the creation of new allowances and merging the least used schemes. They have identified 185 bonuses paid to fewer than 100 employees, around twenty granting less than €100 per recipient, and several particularly outdated mechanisms, as 10% of the bonuses currently in effect were established before 1970.
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