France poverty rate: all persons
France poverty rate: all persons stood at 16.3% in 2025, according to Eurostat – EU statistics on income and living conditions (EU-SILC), compiled by INSEE. It is one of the indicators in the Poverty, inequality and residence permits table (Value · Annual), with a complete series running from 1995 to 2025. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Poverty, inequality and residence permits table
| Indicator | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All persons5 | 16.3 | 15.9 | 15.4 | 15.6 | 14.3 | 14.2 | 13.6 | 13.4 | 13.2 | 13.6 | |
| Under 18 | 22.8 | 21.4 | 21.6 | 21.7 | 18.5 | 19.4 | 18.2 | 19.9 | 19 | 19.1 | |
| 18 to 64 | 15.8 | 15.3 | 14.4 | 14.5 | 14 | 14 | 13.3 | 12.8 | 12.8 | 13.3 |
Understanding france poverty rate: all persons
This series tracks the proportion of the entire population living below the standard threshold, defined relative to national median equivalised disposable income after social transfers. It captures individuals whose total household resources fall short of the designated fraction, serving as the benchmark measure compared to demographic subsets and alternative thresholds. The calculation uses household size and composition weights to equalize living standards across different household structures, incorporating wages, self-employment earnings, pensions, and social benefits while excluding non-cash benefits and imputed rent.
Interpreting annual movements requires caution regarding survey collection adjustments and updates to tax and social security administrative registers. Because the threshold is relative, shifts in the middle of the income distribution directly alter the line, meaning overall median income changes can move the poverty rate even if household resources remain constant. Avoid evaluating this percentage against absolute poverty measures or non-equivalent household income figures, as the equivalence scale fundamentally alters the underlying distribution.
Frequently asked questions
- How does the relative poverty threshold change from year to year?
- The threshold moves dynamically with the national median equivalised disposable income, meaning it updates annually based on contemporaneous household resource surveys.
- Why does this series use equivalised income instead of total household income?
- Equivalisation adjusts household income for size and composition, allowing fair comparisons of living standards between single-person households and large families.
- Does this measure include capital gains and wealth?
- No, the underlying income concept focuses on disposable income from work, property, pensions, and social transfers, excluding unrealised capital gains and accumulated wealth.