France's Economy
The Trente Glorieuses
How France enjoyed thirty glorious years of rapid growth from 1945 to 1975, modernising from a rural economy into an industrial and consumer society.
The Trente Glorieuses (“thirty glorious years”) ran from about 1945 to 1975.
Growth
- France grew around 5 percent a year on average.
- Income per person roughly tripled.
Transformation
- Farm workers fell from about a third of the workforce to much less.
- People moved to cities and industrial jobs.
- Consumer goods like cars, fridges and TVs spread.
- The baby boom raised population.
Drivers
- Marshall Plan aid.
- Catch-up with US technology.
- Planning and state investment.
- European integration, including the European Economic Community (1957).
- Immigrant workers from Southern Europe and North Africa.
The end
The 1973 oil shock and rising unemployment ended the era.
Naming
Economist Jean Fourastié coined the term in 1979.
The village transformed
In 1950, a French village had farms, horses and few cars. By 1975, most families owned cars, and many young people worked in nearby factories.
Thinking postwar Europe grew slowly
France grew about 5 percent a year for three decades.
Key takeaways
- The Trente Glorieuses ran from about 1945 to 1975.
- France grew about 5 percent a year.
- The economy moved from farms to industry and consumption.
- The 1973 oil shock ended the era.
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