In France today, over 9 million people live below the poverty line.

According to INSEE, the poverty rate in France stands at 14.4% of the population.

But what is the monetary poverty line ?

This is the monthly income level below which a single person is considered monetarily poor.

In France, it is set at 60% of the median income. This means 1,216€ per month for a single person and 2,554€ per month for a couple with 2 children under 14.

Painful consequences for millions of French people

The restrictions imposed on these poor people are numerous and affect their daily lives. Living below the poverty line is synonymous with having to make sacrifices on a daily basis.

According to Insee data, nearly one French person in 7 has to give up the essentials of everyday life because their income is too low.

For example, this means not being able to :

• buy new clothes for financial reasons (10.5% in 2023)
• spend a small amount of money freely (12.5% in 2023)
• pay rent, interest or bills on time (9.4% in 2023)
• have Internet access at home (1.3% in 2023).

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Sources:

1. Tableau de bord de l’économie Française, statistique publique – INSEE, 2024
2. « Seuil de pauvreté », Centre d’observation de la société, 27 Avril 2020
3. « France : plus de 9 millions de personnes vivent sous le seuil de pauvreté, selon l’Insee », RTL France, 2024

Photo credit : Timur Weber, Pexels