FRANCE DARK IMAGE

Some sources claim that France gets ≈ €400-€440 billion per year from its former colonies, especially from those using the CFA franc currency arrangement.

Others say that France takes “85% of foreign exchange reserves” from certain former colonies under banking rules established with those countries at independence.

There are also statements that some former colonies “store” large parts of their national reserves with the French treasury or Banque de France.


Problems / doubts with these figures

Lack of official sources: These claims mostly come from opinion pieces, media outlets, activist or NGO commentary. Not from peer-reviewed research or official French or African government budget data.

Ambiguous definitions: Terms like “colonial tax,” “reserves deposited,” “flow of money,” etc. are used loosely; they are often not clearly defined or quantified in verifiable terms.

Possibility of exaggeration or misinformation: Some articles repeat older claims without solid evidence; numbers vary widely; some are sensational.

Changes over time: Agreements and monetary systems evolve (some countries are reforming or exiting the CFA franc agreements, etc.), so even if some flows existed historically, they may have changed or diminished.


Tentative conclusion

Since there is no reliable documented total amount, I can’t give a definitive “France receives ___ per year” figure from its former colonies. The most common large figures in circulation (like ~€400-440 billion) are likely overestimates or symbolic representations rather than data you can put into a government budget or trade account.