The transport sector in France represented a total expenditure of €536.8 billion in 2024, up 2.5% compared to 2023. Behind this overall figure lie contradictory dynamics: spending on public transport is increasing significantly while individual transport is stagnating, and goods flows are being reconfigured at the European level. Which areas are truly driving growth, and where are the declines?
Transport Expenditures in 2024: Public vs. Individual
The gap between the two main expenditure categories for French households is the standout fact of the year. The table below compares their respective developments.
| Expenditure Category | Change 2024 vs 2023 | Share of Total Expenditures |
|---|---|---|
| Individual Transport | + 0.4 % | 80 % of expenditures excluding insurance |
| Public Transport | + 8.4 % | 20 % of expenditures excluding insurance |
| Total Transport Expenditure | + 2.5 % in value | €536.8 billion |
The near-stagnation of individual transport (+0.4 %) contrasts sharply with the marked increase in public transport. This increase occurs in a context of stagnation in public transport prices, suggesting that the rise is due to a volume effect: more trips, no more expensive tickets.
On the public revenue side, administrations collected €66 billion related to transport, an increase of 5.4%. Investment expenditures in infrastructure reach €27.3 billion, driven by the road network, the main rail network, and urban public transport.
The dynamics of urban mobility and logistics are among the topics regularly covered by the transport news on Actualités Voyages, which compile sector developments throughout the year.
Road Freight in Europe: The Re-territorialization of Flows
The Eurostat data published in 2025 reveals a structural shift. Road freight transport in the European Union is growing, but this growth relies almost exclusively on the national segment.
National transport now accounts for nearly two-thirds of road freight activity in ton-kilometers in the EU. Meanwhile, cross-border segments (cross-trade between third countries, cabotage in a country other than the vehicle’s registration country) are declining for the second consecutive year.
Several factors explain this retreat from international operations:
- The strengthening of European regulations on cabotage, which limits the ability to operate outside the vehicle’s registration country
- A movement towards re-territorialization of supply chains, with regional and national networks favored over long cross-border routes
- The gradual withdrawal of certain international operators in favor of domestic players better positioned in their local markets
For French transport companies, this trend is changing the structure of networks and hubs. Business models based on large European corridors are losing profitability compared to shorter routes.
Infrastructure Investments: Where the €27 Billion Goes
The 3.9% increase in transport infrastructure investments is not evenly distributed. Three networks concentrate the increase: the road network, the main rail network, and urban public transport.
The surpassing of pre-health crisis levels is significant. Total transport expenditure in 2024 is 20.1% above its pre-Covid level. This increase reflects both cumulative inflation and a real investment effort, particularly in rail modernization and the deployment of urban mobility systems.
In contrast, international transport service exchanges present a mixed picture. Exports of freight transport services are increasing while imports are decreasing. For travelers, the trend is reversed: imports are slightly up and exports are down.
Urban Logistics and Last Miles
Investments in urban public transport reflect a priority given to mobility solutions in dense areas. Local authorities are funding tramway extensions, high-service bus lines, and infrastructure for electric vehicles.
Last-mile logistics is attracting increasing attention from companies and local authorities. Deliveries in urban areas face increasingly strict regulatory constraints on emissions, accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles for distribution fleets.
Green Hydrogen and Rail: The Supply Bottleneck
The deployment of green hydrogen in rail transport is among the most discussed innovations. Specialized analyses point out a concrete obstacle: supply remains the weak link in deployment.
Producing green hydrogen at a competitive cost and in sufficient volumes to power non-electrified rail lines remains a technical and economic challenge. Pilot projects exist, but scaling up is hindered by production capacity and the logistics of distributing hydrogen to rail depots.
This difficulty is not limited to rail. Road freight transport faces the same constraint for hydrogen trucks, which explains why battery electric solutions are progressing faster in urban utility vehicle fleets.
Regional Heavy Goods Vehicle Ecocontribution: A New Tax Framework
A recent decree regulates the establishment of a regional heavy goods vehicle ecocontribution. This system allows regions to levy a contribution on freight transport vehicles operating on certain routes, in a logic of financing infrastructure and reducing emissions.
This mechanism differs from the former national ecotax abandoned in 2014. Its regional dimension offers more flexibility but raises questions of harmonization between territories and the shifting of traffic to non-taxed routes.
The data from 2024 outlines a transport sector in France that far exceeds its pre-Covid level in terms of expenditure volume, but whose internal dynamics diverge significantly. Public transport is gaining ground, goods flows are being re-territorialized, and decarbonization technologies are still facing supply constraints. The tax framework is being reinvented at the regional level.