Banque de France and ECB statistics
The Banque de France is France's central bank and part of the Eurosystem. Policy interest rates for France are set by the European Central Bank. The Banque de France publishes French monetary and financial statistics, including bank lending and deposit rates, credit, savings, the balance of payments and company failures, mostly through its Webstat database.
What it publishes
- Interest rates on new loans and deposits by French banks, including mortgage rates.
- Credit to households and companies, deposits and savings.
- France's balance of payments and international investment position.
- Business failures and company financial data from its company rating work.
- Economic projections for France and business surveys.
- Through the ECB: key policy rates and daily euro reference exchange rates.
Key datasets
- Webstat
The Banque de France statistical database, with series on rates, credit, savings and the balance of payments.
- ECB key interest rates
History of the deposit facility, main refinancing and marginal lending rates.
- ECB euro reference exchange rates
Daily euro rates against about 30 currencies, published each working day for information purposes.
- ECB Data Portal
Euro area and national series including bank interest rates and government bond yields.
APIs and downloads
- Webstat (English)English interface to the same series, with download and an API.
- ECB daily rates XMLMachine-readable file of the latest euro reference rates.
When it publishes
The ECB Governing Council sets policy rates at monetary policy meetings about every six weeks; changes take effect the following week. The Banque de France publishes monthly lending and deposit statistics around five weeks after the month ends.
How to use it to check a claim
- Separate ECB policy rates from the rates French banks charge on mortgages and loans.
- Check whether a mortgage rate is for new loans or for the stock of outstanding loans.
- For exchange rates, note that ECB reference rates are for information and differ from rates banks offer customers.
- For bond yields, give the maturity (usually 10 years) and the date.
Common mistakes
- Saying the Banque de France sets French interest rates; the ECB does for the whole euro area.
- Quoting the main refinancing rate when the ECB steers policy through the deposit facility rate.
- Using an old rate: check the 'with effect from' date in the ECB table.
Who sets interest rates in France?
The European Central Bank's Governing Council, on which the Governor of the Banque de France sits. Its decisions apply to every euro area country.
Where can I find French mortgage rates?
The Banque de France publishes average rates on new housing loans in Webstat. Rates on individual offers are set by each bank.
Questions answered using this source
Links checked 14 October 2026. This page describes what the source publishes and gives no verdict on any claim.