Livret A

Established in 1818 by King Louis XVIII to pay back the debts incurred during the Napoleonic Wars, part of the funds are now transferred to and re-invested by the Caisse des dépôts et consignations, owned by the French state, to build HLM, or social housing, and pay back the Eurozone debt.

The product acts as a savings account for French citizens and residents, and the annual returns are not taxed.

The Livret A was established in 1818 by King Louis XVIII to pay back the debts incurred during the Napoleonic Wars.

[2][4] Part of the funds are invested through the Caisse des dépôts et consignations, which is fully owned by the French state.

[2] In 2011, a decree issued by the Prime Minister suggested that French banks had to transfer 60% of all funds from the Livrets A to the Caisse des dépôts.

[2] The 2024 budget bill included an amendment that opened the way for deposits in Livret A savings accounts to be used to finance France's defence industrial base.

[2][7] In 2008, 46 million French citizens or residents owned a Livret A, for a total amount of 128,1 billion Euros in late 2007.