Overview

• In 2021, 14% of people in France were poor versus 17% in the EU and 13% were classified as “modest” versus 12%, placing France between Luxembourg (18%) and Finland (11%) on poverty.
• Poverty is measured as income below 60% of the national median and “modest” as 60–75%, a relative approach that affects cross-country comparisons.
• Single-parent households and large families face higher exposure among 25–64-year-olds, with 31% and 26% below the poverty line compared with 12% for couples with children and 10% for couples without.
• Employment status strongly shapes risk: across the EU, 47% of unemployed and 35% of inactive adults are poor compared with 9% of those employed, and single seniors are poorer than senior couples (28% versus 11%).
• Non‑EU immigrants are far more exposed—44% poor across the EU and 42% in France—while French retirees show lower poverty than the EU average (10% versus 15%); the findings reflect a 2021 snapshot rather than more recent increases reported elsewhere.