Payment delays in France now exceed the European average, according to Altares

Payment delays by French companies and public organizations exceeded the European average in the first half of the year, with 14,1 days compared to 13,5 at the end of 2024, and are experiencing the sharpest deterioration in Europe over a year, according to a study by the Altares group published a few days ago.

Currently, less than half (45,2%) of French companies pay their suppliers on time, and large structures with more than 1.000 employees are now more than 20 days late on average, and 15 days in small structures.

The public sector is more affected than the private sector, with delays approaching 15 days (+1,5 days in six months), compared to 13,3 in the private sector.

In the public sector, hospitals (21,7 days) and decentralized state services (25,4 days) "are the red lanterns," the study highlights.

"We're still a long way from a culture of punctuality," notes Thierry Millon, director of research at Altares, who emphasizes that these delays "are very detrimental to subcontractors." He notes that "between political instability, social tensions, a trade war, and moderate growth, public and private players are navigating by sight" this fall.

Very small businesses (VSEs) with fewer than three employees remain the most virtuous, with delays contained under 13 days.

By sector, real estate is in the red (28,8 days for real estate agencies), but construction is showing virtuousness with 8,3 days of delay in the second quarter. Manufacturers generally pay their suppliers three days less than the average, but these delays approached 19 days in the bakery sector in June.

Trade also shows large variations, from 10 days for building materials to 30 for e-commerce.

Mr. Millon sees in the future mandatory electronic invoice "a hope for faster payments." The reform will come into force in September 2026. In the meantime, he suggests implementing a penalty of up to 1% of the turnover of late-paying companies.

At the European level, disparities remain significant. The Netherlands (3 days) and Germany (less than 7 days) are the strong performers, while Portugal (24,5 days) and Italy (17 days) bring up the rear. Spain, with 14,9 days, is getting closer to France.

The UK maintains an average below 13 days.

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.