Public tenant share in Metropolitan France
Public tenant share in Metropolitan France stood at 17.1% in 2026, according to INSEE – Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques (BDM). It is one of the indicators in the Housing stock and social housing table (Value · Annual), with a complete series running from 1982 to 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Housing stock and social housing table
| Indicator | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main residences - Proportion of tenants of a public landlord - Metropolitan France | 17.1 | 17.1 | 17.6 | 17.6 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | |
| Main residences - Proportion of tenants of a private landlord - Metropolitan France | 23.2 | 23.2 | 22.6 | 22.6 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | |
| Main residences - Proportion of persons accommodated for free - Metropolitan France | 2.2 | 2.2 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Understanding public tenant share in Metropolitan France
This indicator captures the proportion of main residences in Metropolitan France rented specifically from public or subsidized social landlords, isolating government-backed housing from the open private market. It measures the penetration of social housing within the primary tenant segment or total main residences, reflecting institutional provision of affordable shelter. Included are dwellings managed by registered social landlords, municipal housing offices, and public real estate entities.
Interpreting this series requires understanding that social housing stock expansions depend on long-term public construction programs and regulatory mandates rather than short-term market pricing signals. Year-on-year comparisons provide a stable measure of social housing availability relative to total housing demand. A common interpretive error is comparing public tenant shares directly against private rental yields, as public allocation criteria, rent controls, and tenant turnover rules differ fundamentally from commercial leases.
Frequently asked questions
- What landlords are classified as public in this context?
- Registered social landlords, municipal housing agencies, and public entities providing subsidized rental housing.
- Is this percentage calculated out of all tenants or all main residences?
- The data series reports the proportion relative to main residences, or within the tenant sub-segment depending on the exact table row path.
- Can private market apartments subsidized by the state be counted here?
- Generally, this category tracks institutional social housing stock rather than private market units receiving housing allowances.