Diffusion of ICTs and Growth of the French Economy over the Long-term, 1980-2000

The contribution of information and communication technology (ICT) to GDP growth and labour productivity growth in France is estimated to lie between 0.2 % and 0.3 % per year over the entire 1980-2000 period. According to our estimates, it increased sharply in the second half of the 1990s, in sync with the rise in the contribution of total factor productivity (TFP). The contribution of ICT was twice as strong in the service sector than in industry. Total factor productivity was much higher in the ICT-producing sectors than in those using it. Our estimates show that, in qualitative terms, productivity gains in Europe are close to those in the US, where the quantitative contribution appears nevertheless much stronger.