In 2021, the poverty rate in France reached 14.5 percent. In recent years, poverty in France has been increasing, affecting both unemployed and working people. In fact, according to Insee, 9.2 percent of economically active persons had a living standard inferior to the poverty rate in 2021.

The increase of poverty in France

Poverty in France reached its highest rate in 2018. That year, almost 15 percent of the French population was living below the poverty line, which means that their income was less than 60 percent of the median income in the country. Despite a significant decrease between 2000 and 2004, when the rate went from 13.6 down to 12.6 percent, poverty has been rising in France in recent years. Studies have shown that the number of poor people increased in France, reaching approximately 9.3 million individuals in 2020, while 11,779 thousand people were at risk of poverty or social exclusion.

Poverty affecting youth and middle classes

Poverty seems to affect mainly younger generations. In 2016, 12.5 percent of French aged between 18 and 29 years old were considered poor. In comparison, only 2.2 percent of French aged 65 and 74 years old were in the same situation. Youth unemployment in France, one of the highest in Europe, might explain this phenomenon. However, the middle class is not spared from the rise of poverty either. In 2017, 52.4 percent of French middle-income households were having difficulties to make ends meet.

According to a survey conducted in May 2024, the subjective poverty line for French people residing outside of the Paris Region was 1,388 euros. However, for French people living in France's capital city and the Ile-de-France region, the minimum income under which a single person was considered poor was 1,431 euros.

Population Poverty Rate Statistics for 2022. This is part of a larger dataset covering poverty in Paris, Illinois by age, education, race, gender, work experience and more.

45 to 54 years Poverty Rate Statistics for 2022. This is part of a larger dataset covering poverty in Paris, Illinois by age, education, race, gender, work experience and more.

According to a survey conducted in May 2024, in France, the subjective poverty line was 1,396 euros. This minimum income, decided by the French population, under which a single person was considered poor, increased by 19 euros compared to the previous year. Moreover, during the given period, the subjective poverty line increased in total by 390 euros.

In 2022, there were around 9.1 million poor French people. The increase in the poverty rate in Western countries has been a rampant issue since 2000. Since that year, France has seen its poverty rate slowly but steadily growing. One of the main aspects of poverty in France was its impact on the youngest and the oldest generations. Thus, one out of five French people aged younger than 18 years were living below the poverty line in 2022.

35 to 44 years Poverty Rate Statistics for 2022. This is part of a larger dataset covering poverty in Paris, Texas by age, education, race, gender, work experience and more.

In 2022, 57 percent of French people reported that they had experienced or almost experienced poverty at some point in their lives. This represents 15 points more than in 2007. Moreover, in 2013, the proportion of people who had never experienced poverty was equal to that of people who had.
In 2020, 11.8 million people were at risk of poverty or social exclusion in France.

In 2018, nearly seven out of ten people in French Guiana were living in a situation of poverty, and nearly three out of ten in a situation of extreme poverty. These proportions are somewhat lower in the other overseas regions, but remain extremely high compared to metropolitan France. Indeed, people not living in poverty represent less than half of the population in La Réunion, Guadeloupe and Martinique, while in metropolitan France, they account for nearly 80 percent.

This statistic shows the poverty rate in France in 2022, by age group. In 2022, 11.4 percent of French people older than 75 years old were considered poor.

This statistic shows the amount of the monthly poverty line in France from 2012 to 2017. The poverty line (or poverty threshold) refers to the amount of monthly income below which it is estimated that a person can not live decently. Here, the poverty line used is set at 60% of the French median income. In 2017, the poverty line was 1.041 euros per month. Thus, anyone with incomes below this amount in France was considered poor.

U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts statistics for Paris city, Texas. QuickFacts data are derived from: Population Estimates, American Community Survey, Census of Population and Housing, Current Population Survey, Small Area Health Insurance Estimates, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, State and County Housing Unit Estimates, County Business Patterns, Nonemployer Statistics, Economic Census, Survey of Business Owners, Building Permits.

According to a survey conducted in June 2023, in France, around 45 percent of the respondents had financial difficulties paying for their energy expenses. Moreover, around 34 percent of those surveyed declared they had financial problems paying their rent or mortgage.

25 to 34 years Poverty Rate Statistics for 2022. This is part of a larger dataset covering poverty in Paris, Tennessee by age, education, race, gender, work experience and more.

White Poverty Rate Statistics for 2022. This is part of a larger dataset covering poverty in Paris, Tennessee by age, education, race, gender, work experience and more.

In 2022, 85 percent of French people considered that the risk of their children ever experiencing poverty was higher than for their generation. Only eight percent thought that this risk was lower, compared to 16 percent the previous year. In 2020, 11.8 million people were at risk of poverty or social exclusion in France.

U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts statistics for Paris city, Kentucky. QuickFacts data are derived from: Population Estimates, American Community Survey, Census of Population and Housing, Current Population Survey, Small Area Health Insurance Estimates, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, State and County Housing Unit Estimates, County Business Patterns, Nonemployer Statistics, Economic Census, Survey of Business Owners, Building Permits.

In 2008, the French considered a single person with a net monthly income of less than 1,006 euros to be poor. This figure has fluctuated since then, but has never been as high as in 2022, when single people earning less than 1.263 euros per month were considered poor. The value of the monthly gross minimum wage in France was around 1,554 euros in the second half of 2021.

Hispanic Poverty Rate Statistics for 2022. This is part of a larger dataset covering poverty in Paris, Illinois by age, education, race, gender, work experience and more.

According to a survey conducted in France in March 2024, a majority of the respondents declared they changed their eating habits due to inflation. For instance, approximately one respondent out of five declared they often had given up on buying some specific food products due to lack of money. And 13 percent of the respondents even said they often would skip a meal.