In 2014, after few years of sharp decline, the purchasing power in France reached 1.3 percent. In 2013, the purchasing power in France experienced its strongest decline since 2007. With a decrease of -1 percent compared to the previous year, French purchasing power reached a level lower than the one attained in 2008 during the economic crisis. It had never been so low, even in 2020 with the economic crisis due to COVID-19.

The decline of French purchasing power

Purchasing power, which is the quantity of goods and services that an income can buy, is linked with the inflation rate and the disposable income of households. In France, the inflation rate peaked in 2008 with 2.8 percent. After a decline from 2011 to 2015, the inflation rate has been increasing between 2015 and 2018 in France, reaching 1.8 percent in 2018. It amounted to 4.9 percent in 2023. This had a strong impact on the purchasing power of French households since the average annual household disposable income in France remained stable since 2005.

An important issue in the French public debate

The purchasing power has always been a sensitive topic within French public debate. In 2019, during the Great National Debate launched after the Yellow Vests movement, the purchasing power was mentioned as the priority issue that should be addressed during the debate. Most of the French public perceived the economic policy pursued by Emmanuel Macron and his Prime Minister, as having a negative impact on their purchasing power.

In December 2024, inflation amounted to 2.9 percent, while wages grew by 4.2 percent. The inflation rate has not exceeded the rate of wage growth since January 2023. Inflation in 2022 The high rates of inflation in 2022 meant that the real terms value of American wages took a hit. Many Americans report feelings of concern over the economy and a worsening of their financial situation. The inflation situation in the United States is one that was experienced globally in 2022, mainly due to COVID-19 related supply chain constraints and disruption due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The monthly inflation rate for the U.S. reached a 40-year high in June 2022 at 9.1 percent, and annual inflation for 2022 reached eight percent. Without appropriate wage increases, Americans will continue to see a decline in their purchasing power. Wages in the U.S. Despite the level of wage growth reaching 6.7 percent in the summer of 2022, it has not been enough to curb the impact of even higher inflation rates. The federally mandated minimum wage in the United States has not increased since 2009, meaning that individuals working minimum wage jobs have taken a real terms pay cut for the last twelve years. There are discrepancies between states - the minimum wage in California can be as high as 15.50 U.S. dollars per hour, while a business in Oklahoma may be as low as two U.S. dollars per hour. However, even the higher wage rates in states like California and Washington may be lacking - one analysis found that if minimum wage had kept up with productivity, the minimum hourly wage in the U.S. should have been 22.88 dollars per hour in 2021. Additionally, the impact of decreased purchasing power due to inflation will impact different parts of society in different ways with stark contrast in average wages due to both gender and race.

When adjusted for inflation, the 2024 federal minimum wage in the United States is over 40 percent lower than the minimum wage in 1970. Although the real dollar minimum wage in 1970 was only 1.60 U.S. dollars, when expressed in nominal 2024 dollars this increases to 13.05 U.S. dollars. This is a significant difference from the federal minimum wage in 2024 of 7.25 U.S. dollars.

This table contains figures on the development of dynamic purchasing power of persons. The purchasing power development is only shown for persons with equal characteristics in the reporting year and the year before. The figures in this table are broken down into different household characteristics, like main source of income and age of the main earner. The population consists of all persons in private households with income on January 1st of the reporting year.

Data available from: 2012.

Status of the figures: The figures in this table for the period 2012 to 2022 are final. The figures for the period 2023 are preliminary.

Changes as of 12 September 2024: Figures for 2022 have been finalized. Figures for 2023 have been added.

When will new figures be published? New figures will be published in September 2025.

This graph shows average wages around the world in 2012 as calculated by purchasing power parity. In 2012 the highest average wage was earned in Luxembourg at 4,089 purchasing power parity dollars. Wages and salaries Wages and salaries in the United States have increased during the last decades. The median weekly earnings of a full-time wage and salary worker were about 241 U.S. dollars in 1979 and shifted up to 768 U.S. dollars in 2012.

The median earnings of U.S. full-time wage and salary workers vary across their educational attainment. The highest paid workers are those who hold a bachelor’s degree, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The U.S. federal government specified minimum wage laws for workers in the United States, which say that workers must be paid no less than the current federal minimum wage. The minimum wage was set at 7.25 U.S. dollars per hour by federal law. The actual minimum wage varies from state to state, as some states have additional minimum wage laws.

For instance, the minimum wage in Washington was around 9.04 U.S. dollars per hour, while the worst minimum wage can be found in Georgia, where workers earn at least 5.15 U.S. dollars per hour. No minimum wages can be found in Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana, South Carolina and Mississippi, as of January 1, 2012.

The number of workers paid hourly rates with earnings at or below the minimum wage in the U.S. was at its highest in the industry type of leisure and hospitality in 2013.

Recent statistics show that the share of female workers paid hourly rates at or below prevailing federal minimum wage in the United States decreased since 1979. In that year, 20.2 percent of the female wage and salary workers were paid below the federal minimum wage, while only 2.9 percent of the female workers were paid below the federal minimum wage in 2006.

In 2023, the usual median hourly rate of a worker's wage in the United States was 19.24 U.S. dollars, a decrease from the previous year. Dollar value is based on 2023 U.S. dollars. In 1979, the median hourly earnings in the U.S. was 17.48 dollars.

This map shows the purchasing power per capita in Australia in 2021, in a multiscale map (Country, State, Statistical Area Level 4, Statistical Area Level 3, Local Government Area, Statistical Area Level 2, and Statistical Area Level 1). Nationally, the purchasing power per capita is 46,706 Australian dollar. Purchasing Power describes the disposable income (income without taxes and social security contributions, including received transfer payments) of a certain area's population. The figures are in Australian dollar (AUD) per capita.The pop-up is configured to show the following information at each geography level:Purchasing power per capitaPurchasing power for various goods and servicesCounts of households by income quintilesThe source of this data is Michael Bauer Research. The vintage of the data is 2021. This item was last updated in November, 2022 and is updated every 12-18 months as new annual figures are offered.Additional Esri Resources:Esri DemographicsThis item is for visualization purposes only and cannot be exported or used in analysis.We would love to hear from you. If you have any feedback regarding this item or Esri Demographics, please let us know.Permitted use of this data is covered in the DATA section of the Esri Master Agreement (E204CW) and these supplemental terms.

This layer shows the purchasing power per capita in United Kingdom in 2023, in a multiscale map (United Kingdom, Country, Region, County, District, Lower Super Output Area, and Census Output Area). Nationally, the purchasing power per capita is 22,986 British pound. Purchasing Power describes the disposable income (income without taxes and social security contributions, including received transfer payments) of a certain area's population. The figures are in British pound (GBP) per capita.The pop-up is configured to show the following information at each geography level:Purchasing power per capitaPurchasing power per capita by various categoriesThe source of this data is Michael Bauer Research. The vintage of the data is 2023. This item was last updated in February, 2024 and is updated every 12-18 months as new annual figures are offered.Additional Esri Resources:Esri DemographicsThis item is for visualization purposes only and cannot be exported or used in analysis.We would love to hear from you. If you have any feedback regarding this item or Esri Demographics, please let us know.Permitted use of this data is covered in the DATA section of the Esri Master Agreement (E204CW) and these supplemental terms.

This map shows the purchasing power per capita in Tunisia in 2023, in a multiscale map (Country, Region, and Governorate). Nationally, the purchasing power per capita is 7,713 Tunisian dinar. Purchasing Power describes the disposable income (income without taxes and social security contributions, including received transfer payments) of a certain area's population. The figures are in Tunisian dinar (TND) per capita.The pop-up is configured to show the following information at each geography level:Purchasing power per capitaPurchasing power per capita by various categoriesCount of population by level of educationThe source of this data is Michael Bauer Research. The vintage of the data is 2023. This item was last updated in October, 2023 and is updated every 12-18 months as new annual figures are offered.Additional Esri Resources:Esri DemographicsThis item is for visualization purposes only and cannot be exported or used in analysis.We would love to hear from you. If you have any feedback regarding this item or Esri Demographics, please let us know.Permitted use of this data is covered in the DATA section of the Esri Master Agreement (E204CW) and these supplemental terms.

This map shows the purchasing power per capita in South Africa in 2023, in a multiscale map (Country, Province, District, Municipality, Main Place, Sub Place, and Small Area). Nationally, the purchasing power per capita is 62,579 South African rand. Purchasing Power describes the disposable income (income without taxes and social security contributions, including received transfer payments) of a certain area's population. The figures are in South African rand (ZAR) per capita.The pop-up is configured to show the following information at each geography level:Purchasing power per capitaPurchasing power per capita by various categoriesCount of households by income quintilesThe source of this data is Michael Bauer Research. The vintage of the data is 2023. This item was last updated in October, 2023 and is updated every 12-18 months as new annual figures are offered.Additional Esri Resources:Esri DemographicsThis item is for visualization purposes only and cannot be exported or used in analysis.We would love to hear from you. If you have any feedback regarding this item or Esri Demographics, please let us know.Permitted use of this data is covered in the DATA section of the Esri Master Agreement (E204CW) and these supplemental terms.

This map shows the purchasing power per capita in Malaysia in 2022, in a multiscale map (Country, State, District, and Subdistrict). Nationally, the purchasing power per capita is 23,837 Malaysian ringgit. Purchasing Power describes the disposable income (income without taxes and social security contributions, including received transfer payments) of a certain area's population. The figures are in Malaysian ringgit (MYR) per capita.The pop-up is configured to show the following information at each geography level:Purchasing power per capitaPurchasing power for various goods and servicesThe source of this data is Michael Bauer Research. The vintage of the data is 2022. This item was last updated in November, 2022 and is updated every 12-18 months as new annual figures are offered.Additional Esri Resources:Esri DemographicsThis item is for visualization purposes only and cannot be exported or used in analysis.We would love to hear from you. If you have any feedback regarding this item or Esri Demographics, please let us know.Permitted use of this data is covered in the DATA section of the Esri Master Agreement (E204CW) and these supplemental terms.

This layer shows the purchasing power per capita in Germany in 2023, in a multiscale map (Country, State, Province, District, and Municipality). Nationally, the purchasing power per capita is 26,870 Euro. Purchasing Power describes the disposable income (income without taxes and social security contributions, including received transfer payments) of a certain area's population. The figures are in Euro (EUR) per capita.The pop-up is configured to show the following information at each geography level:Purchasing power per capitaPurchasing power for various goods and servicesThe source of this data is Michael Bauer Research. The vintage of the data is 2023. This item was last updated in February, 2024 and is updated every 12-18 months as new annual figures are offered.Additional Esri Resources:Esri DemographicsThis item is for visualization purposes only and cannot be exported or used in analysis.We would love to hear from you. If you have any feedback regarding this item or Esri Demographics, please let us know.Permitted use of this data is covered in the DATA section of the Esri Master Agreement (E204CW) and these supplemental terms.

Many effects of the coronavirus pandemic were not reflected in the static purchase power of Dutch households. According to estimates from March 2023, purchase power in the Netherlands was expected to decrease. The source acknowledges, however, that this figure does not include likely scenarios like unemployment and less available work hours due to lower production or available assignments. Before COVID-19, it believed that a large number of Dutch households was going to experience an increase in purchasing power. Roughly 22,000 households, for example, were forecast to see a growth of five percent or more.

 Singles with average income see purchasing power grow the most  

The singles with average incomes (35,000 euros) were expected to see the most significant increase in their purchasing power in 2019, at over two percent. With the exception of couples with one child on a double income (earning between 10,000 and 25,000 euros) though, all other household types could foresee a growth in purchasing power.

Purchasing power under Rutte III-government  

Pensioners and people on social security benefits are especially vulnerable to the dynamics of a changing economic situation. Another forecast released just before the Rutte III government was inaugurated in October 2017 predicted a growth of the purchasing power for all groups under the new government: the working, the pensioners and the recipients of benefits. It was however expected that the purchasing power of the employed group would increase far more than the purchasing power of pensioners and people on social security: 1.4 percent vs. 0.6 and 0.7 percent.

This map shows the purchasing power per capita in Germany by multiple levels of geography. These levels are Country, State, District, Municipality, and Neighborhood (Country, Bundeslaender, Kreise, Gemeinden, and Wohnquartier, respectively). The purchasing power per capita figure is measured in Euro (€) and describes the disposable income of an area. Nationally, the average German inhabitant spends €23,861 per year.The pop-up is configured to include the following information for each geography level:Purchasing Power per Capita (€)Household income by various income ranges (€)Purchasing Power Index by various categoriesThe Purchasing Power Index compares the demand for a specific purchasing category in an area, with the national demand for that product or service. The index values at the national level are 100, representing average demand for the country. A value of more than 100 represents higher demand than the national average, and a value of less than 100 represents lower demand than the national average. For example, an index of 120 implies that demand in the area is 20 percent higher than the national average; an index of 80 implies that demand is 20 percent lower than the national average.Beneath the administrative layer, there is a postal boundary layer available. The postal layer contains the same classification and pop-up configuration, but utilizes postal boundaries (Postal Zone, Postal Region, and Postcode).The source of this information is Nexiga. The vintage of the data shown is 2021. For more information about Esri demographics including geography levels, click here.Permitted use of this data is covered in Section 4.0 DATA of the Esri Master Agreement (E204CW) and these supplemental terms.

This map shows the purchasing power per capita in Morocco in 2023, in a multiscale map (Country, Region, and Province). Nationally, the purchasing power per capita is 21,337 Moroccan dirham. Purchasing Power describes the disposable income (income without taxes and social security contributions, including received transfer payments) of a certain area's population. The figures are in Moroccan dirham (MAD) per capita.The pop-up is configured to show the following information at each geography level:Purchasing power per capitaPurchasing power per capita indexThe Purchasing Power Index compares the demand for a specific purchasing category in an area, with the national demand for that product or service. The index values at the national level are 100, representing average demand for the country. A value of more than 100 represents higher demand than the national average, and a value of less than 100 represents lower demand than the national average. For example, an index of 120 implies that demand in the area is 20 percent higher than the national average; an index of 80 implies that demand is 20 percent lower than the national average.The source of this data is Michael Bauer Research. The vintage of the data is 2023. This item was last updated in October, 2023 and is updated every 12-18 months as new annual figures are offered.Additional Esri Resources:Esri DemographicsThis item is for visualization purposes only and cannot be exported or used in analysis.We would love to hear from you. If you have any feedback regarding this item or Esri Demographics, please let us know.Permitted use of this data is covered in the DATA section of the Esri Master Agreement (E204CW) and these supplemental terms.

This map shows the purchasing power per capita in Nigeria in 2023, in a multiscale map (Country, State, and Local Government Area). Nationally, the purchasing power per capita is 680,581 Nigerian naira. Purchasing Power describes the disposable income (income without taxes and social security contributions, including received transfer payments) of a certain area's population. The figures are in Nigerian naira (NGN) per capita.The pop-up is configured to show the following information at each geography level:Purchasing power per capitaPurchasing power index per areaThe Purchasing Power Index compares the demand for a specific purchasing category in an area, with the national demand for that product or service. The index values at the national level are 100, representing average demand for the country. A value of more than 100 represents higher demand than the national average, and a value of less than 100 represents lower demand than the national average. For example, an index of 120 implies that demand in the area is 20 percent higher than the national average; an index of 80 implies that demand is 20 percent lower than the national average.The source of this data is Michael Bauer Research. The vintage of the data is 2023. This item was last updated in October, 2023 and is updated every 12-18 months as new annual figures are offered.Additional Esri Resources:Esri DemographicsThis item is for visualization purposes only and cannot be exported or used in analysis.We would love to hear from you. If you have any feedback regarding this item or Esri Demographics, please let us know.Permitted use of this data is covered in the DATA section of the Esri Master Agreement (E204CW) and these supplemental terms.

This map shows the purchasing power per capita in Puerto Rico in 2022, in a multiscale map (Country, Municipality, and Neighborhood). Nationally, the purchasing power per capita is 17,786 US Dollar. Purchasing Power describes the disposable income (income without taxes and social security contributions, including received transfer payments) of a certain area's population. The figures are in US Dollar (USD) per capita.The pop-up is configured to show the following information at each geography level:Purchasing power per capitaPurchasing power per capita by income quintilesThe source of this data is Michael Bauer Research. The vintage of the data is 2022. This item was last updated in October, 2023 and is updated every 12-18 months as new annual figures are offered.Additional Esri Resources:Esri DemographicsThis item is for visualization purposes only and cannot be exported or used in analysis.We would love to hear from you. If you have any feedback regarding this item or Esri Demographics, please let us know.Permitted use of this data is covered in the DATA section of the Esri Master Agreement (E204CW) and these supplemental terms.

The purchasing power reflects the household income. It comprises information on labour supply, capital wealth, rental and leasing income minus taxes and social security contributions, including social transfers such as unemployment benefits, child-allowances and pensions. Regular payments, e.g. for rent, electricity or insurance premiums are not subtracted from the purchasing power. Microm computes the purchasing power in cooperation with Michael Bauer Research GmbH. The computation is based on statistical models on a small regional scale. This allows for small-scale purchasing power information on the street segment and postcode (PLZ8) level. As explanatory variables for the econometric models, many microm variables are used, such as typology, age, status and the car variables. Due to persistent differences between East and West Germany, the purchasing power was modelled separately for both parts (microm 2016, p. 106).

This map shows the purchasing power per capita in Egypt in 2023, in a multiscale map (Country and Province). Nationally, the purchasing power per capita is 64,013 Egyptian pound. Purchasing Power describes the disposable income (income without taxes and social security contributions, including received transfer payments) of a certain area's population. The figures are in Egyptian pound (EGP) per capita.The pop-up is configured to show the following information at each geography level:Purchasing power per capitaPurchasing power per capita indexThe Purchasing Power Index compares the demand for a specific purchasing category in an area, with the national demand for that product or service. The index values at the national level are 100, representing average demand for the country. A value of more than 100 represents higher demand than the national average, and a value of less than 100 represents lower demand than the national average. For example, an index of 120 implies that demand in the area is 20 percent higher than the national average; an index of 80 implies that demand is 20 percent lower than the national average.The source of this data is Michael Bauer Research. The vintage of the data is 2023. This item was last updated in October, 2023 and is updated every 12-18 months as new annual figures are offered.Additional Esri Resources:Esri DemographicsThis item is for visualization purposes only and cannot be exported or used in analysis.We would love to hear from you. If you have any feedback regarding this item or Esri Demographics, please let us know.Permitted use of this data is covered in the DATA section of the Esri Master Agreement (E204CW) and these supplemental terms.