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, 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.

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.

In 2022, in France, 15.1 percent of the total female population lived under the poverty line. On the other hand, 13.8 percent of the male population was also considered poor. A relatively important gap difference of more than one percentage point, when compared to 1996 when the poverty rate was the same for men and women.

France - At Risk of Poverty rate for pensioners was 11.70% in December of 2023, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for France - At Risk of Poverty rate for pensioners - last updated from the EUROSTAT on March of 2025. Historically, France - At Risk of Poverty rate for pensioners reached a record high of 11.70% in December of 2023 and a record low of 7.00% in December of 2016.

France - Persistent-at Risk of Poverty rate: From 50 to 64 years was 6.30% in December of 2023, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for France - Persistent-at Risk of Poverty rate: From 50 to 64 years - last updated from the EUROSTAT on March of 2025. Historically, France - Persistent-at Risk of Poverty rate: From 50 to 64 years reached a record high of 8.80% in December of 2021 and a record low of 5.50% in December of 2012.

France - At Risk of Poverty rate of older people: Less than 65 years was 16.20% in December of 2023, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for France - At Risk of Poverty rate of older people: Less than 65 years - last updated from the EUROSTAT on March of 2025. Historically, France - At Risk of Poverty rate of older people: Less than 65 years reached a record high of 16.40% in December of 2022 and a record low of 14.10% in December of 2010.

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.

France - At Risk of Poverty rate of households with at least one dependent child: Very high work intensity (0.85-1) was 3.90% in December of 2020, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for France - At Risk of Poverty rate of households with at least one dependent child: Very high work intensity (0.85-1) - last updated from the EUROSTAT on March of 2025. Historically, France - At Risk of Poverty rate of households with at least one dependent child: Very high work intensity (0.85-1) reached a record high of 6.20% in December of 2017 and a record low of 3.90% in December of 2020.

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.

France FR: Proportion of Population Pushed Below the $1.90: Poverty Line by Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenditure: 2011 PPP: % data was reported at 0.037 % in 2010. France FR: Proportion of Population Pushed Below the $1.90: Poverty Line by Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenditure: 2011 PPP: % data is updated yearly, averaging 0.037 % from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2010, with 1 observations. France FR: Proportion of Population Pushed Below the $1.90: Poverty Line by Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenditure: 2011 PPP: % data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s France – Table FR.World Bank.WDI: Poverty. Proportion of population pushed below the $1.90 ($ 2011 PPP) poverty line by out-of-pocket health care expenditure. This indicator shows the fraction of a country's households experiencing impoverishing expenditures, defined as expenditures without which the household would have been above the $ 1.90 poverty line, but because of the expenditures is below the poverty line.; ; World Health Organization and World Bank. 2019. Global Monitoring Report on Financial Protection in Health 2019.; Weighted average;

France FR: Survey Mean Consumption or Income per Capita: Bottom 40% of Population: Annualized Average Growth Rate data was reported at 0.740 % in 2015. France FR: Survey Mean Consumption or Income per Capita: Bottom 40% of Population: Annualized Average Growth Rate data is updated yearly, averaging 0.740 % from Dec 2015 (Median) to 2015, with 1 observations. France FR: Survey Mean Consumption or Income per Capita: Bottom 40% of Population: Annualized Average Growth Rate data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s France – Table FR.World Bank: Poverty. The growth rate in the welfare aggregate of the bottom 40% is computed as the annualized average growth rate in per capita real consumption or income of the bottom 40% of the population in the income distribution in a country from household surveys over a roughly 5-year period. Mean per capita real consumption or income is measured at 2011 Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) using the PovcalNet (http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet). For some countries means are not reported due to grouped and/or confidential data. The annualized growth rate is computed as (Mean in final year/Mean in initial year)^(1/(Final year - Initial year)) - 1. The reference year is the year in which the underlying household survey data was collected. In cases for which the data collection period bridged two calendar years, the first year in which data were collected is reported. The initial year refers to the nearest survey collected 5 years before the most recent survey available, only surveys collected between 3 and 7 years before the most recent survey are considered. The final year refers to the most recent survey available between 2011 and 2015. Growth rates for Iraq are based on survey means of 2005 PPP$. The coverage and quality of the 2011 PPP price data for Iraq and most other North African and Middle Eastern countries were hindered by the exceptional period of instability they faced at the time of the 2011 exercise of the International Comparison Program. See PovcalNet for detailed explanations.; ; World Bank, Global Database of Shared Prosperity (GDSP) circa 2010-2015 (http://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/poverty/brief/global-database-of-shared-prosperity).; ; The comparability of welfare aggregates (consumption or income) for the chosen years T0 and T1 is assessed for every country. If comparability across the two surveys is a major concern for a country, the selection criteria are re-applied to select the next best survey year(s). Annualized growth rates are calculated between the survey years, using a compound growth formula. The survey years defining the period for which growth rates are calculated and the type of welfare aggregate used to calculate the growth rates are noted in the footnotes.

5 to 17 years Poverty Rate Statistics for 2022. This is part of a larger dataset covering poverty in French Settlement, Louisiana by age, education, race, gender, work experience and more.

France FR: Poverty Gap at $1.90 a Day: 2011 PPP: % data was reported at 0.000 % in 2015. This stayed constant from the previous number of 0.000 % for 2014. France FR: Poverty Gap at $1.90 a Day: 2011 PPP: % data is updated yearly, averaging 0.000 % from Dec 2003 (Median) to 2015, with 13 observations. France FR: Poverty Gap at $1.90 a Day: 2011 PPP: % data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s France – Table FR.World Bank.WDI: Poverty. Poverty gap at $1.90 a day (2011 PPP) is the mean shortfall in income or consumption from the poverty line $1.90 a day (counting the nonpoor as having zero shortfall), expressed as a percentage of the poverty line. This measure reflects the depth of poverty as well as its incidence. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions.; ; World Bank, Development Research Group. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income economies are from the Luxembourg Income Study database. For more information and methodology, please see PovcalNet (http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet/index.htm).; ; The World Bank’s internationally comparable poverty monitoring database now draws on income or detailed consumption data from more than one thousand six hundred household surveys across 164 countries in six regions and 25 other high income countries (industrialized economies). While income distribution data are published for all countries with data available, poverty data are published for low- and middle-income countries and countries eligible to receive loans from the World Bank (such as Chile) and recently graduated countries (such as Estonia) only. The aggregated numbers for low- and middle-income countries correspond to the totals of 6 regions in PovcalNet, which include low- and middle-income countries and countries eligible to receive loans from the World Bank (such as Chile) and recently graduated countries (such as Estonia). See PovcalNet (http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet/WhatIsNew.aspx) for definitions of geographical regions and industrialized countries.

France FR: Poverty Headcount Ratio at National Poverty Lines: % of Population data was reported at 15.600 % in 2021. France FR: Poverty Headcount Ratio at National Poverty Lines: % of Population data is updated yearly, averaging 15.600 % from Dec 2021 (Median) to 2021, with 1 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 15.600 % in 2021 and a record low of 15.600 % in 2021. France FR: Poverty Headcount Ratio at National Poverty Lines: % of Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s France – Table FR.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. National poverty headcount ratio is the percentage of the population living below the national poverty line(s). National estimates are based on population-weighted subgroup estimates from household surveys. For economies for which the data are from EU-SILC, the reported year is the income reference year, which is the year before the survey year.;World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are compiled from official government sources or are computed by World Bank staff using national (i.e. country–specific) poverty lines.;;This series only includes estimates that to the best of our knowledge are reasonably comparable over time for a country. Due to differences in estimation methodologies and poverty lines, estimates should not be compared across countries.

Two or more races Poverty Rate Statistics for 2022. This is part of a larger dataset covering poverty in French Lick, Indiana by age, education, race, gender, work experience and more.

France FR: Increase in Poverty Gap at $1.90: Poverty Line Due To Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenditure: 2011 PPP: % of Poverty Line data was reported at 0.027 % in 2010. France FR: Increase in Poverty Gap at $1.90: Poverty Line Due To Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenditure: 2011 PPP: % of Poverty Line data is updated yearly, averaging 0.027 % from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2010, with 1 observations. France FR: Increase in Poverty Gap at $1.90: Poverty Line Due To Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenditure: 2011 PPP: % of Poverty Line data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s France – Table FR.World Bank.WDI: Poverty. Increase in poverty gap at $1.90 ($ 2011 PPP) poverty line due to out-of-pocket health care expenditure, as a percentage of the $1.90 poverty line. The poverty gap increase due to out-of-pocket health spending is one way to measure how much out-of-pocket health spending pushes people below or further below the poverty line (the difference in the poverty gap due to out-of-pocket health spending being included or excluded from the measure of household welfare). This difference corresponds to the total out-of-pocket health spending for households that are already below the poverty line, to the amount that exceeds the shortfall between the poverty line and total consumption for households that are impoverished by out-of-pocket health spending and to zero for households whose consumption is above the poverty line after accounting for out-of-pocket health spending.; ; World Health Organization and World Bank. 2019. Global Monitoring Report on Financial Protection in Health 2019.; Weighted average;

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.

France - At Risk of Poverty rate of households without dependent children: Low work intensity (0.2-0.45) was 22.30% in December of 2020, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for France - At Risk of Poverty rate of households without dependent children: Low work intensity (0.2-0.45) - last updated from the EUROSTAT on February of 2025. Historically, France - At Risk of Poverty rate of households without dependent children: Low work intensity (0.2-0.45) reached a record high of 36.00% in December of 2016 and a record low of 19.80% in December of 2014.

Unemployed Poverty Rate Statistics for 2022. This is part of a larger dataset covering poverty in French Settlement, Louisiana by age, education, race, gender, work experience and more.