More French people living in poverty
13.5% of French households are below poverty threshold and more than half earn less than €19,000 a year
HALF of French households have an income of less than €19,000 and more than eight million people are living below the poverty threshold, according to a report published today.
The percentage of homes living below the threshold has increased from 13% in 2008 to 13.5%. The report also confirms that the gap between the wealthiest and poorest households has increased.
The Insee report indicates that the poorest 10% of households live on less than €10,410 a year.
The numbers of households in poverty has grown as a result of increases in unemployment. The official poverty threshold in France is €954 per month.
On the other end of the scale, the richest households have increased their income and the most wealthy 10% of households live on an average of €35,840 a year.
While the gap between the rich and the poor decreased in 2004, it has continued to grow since then.
Insee says that the economic crisis has affected all households, but it is "the poorest that are most affected".
In France, a monthly income for a single person of less than €791 is considered below the poverty threshold.
For a single-parent family with a child under 14, the figure is €1,034.
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