France's Borrowing Cost Hits 5%, First Time Since 2002

France's 10-year government borrowing cost touched 5% on 21 October 2026, its first time there since July 2002, Reuters reported. That figure, called the yield, is the yearly return on France's main government IOU, the 10-year OAT bond. Higher yields mean France pays more to borrow, and loans and mortgages get pricier across the economy.