Overview
- Between 2003 and 2022, the average income of very high‑income households rose 119% to about €1 million, far outpacing the 46% increase for others, with sharp volatility for the top 0.1% during the financial crises and the post‑Covid rebound.
- Entry into the very high‑income group was set at roughly €463,000 in 2022, and 48% of such households lived in Île‑de‑France, chiefly in Paris and Hauts‑de‑Seine.
- Top households drew a much smaller share from labor in 2022 (38%) and a larger share from capital income (47%), with notable contributions from independent professions such as doctors, dentists and legal services.
- In 2023, 1% of private‑sector posts paid more than €10,219 net per month and the top 0.1% at least €27,066, with the 100 highest‑paid posts including 36% professional footballers and being dominated by men over 50; these posts were more stable year to year than average jobs.
- Despite paying €10.7 billion in income tax in 2022 (13% of receipts), the very top saw their average effective rate fall to 25.7% from 29.2% in 2003, and in 2021 about 1.6 million households combined top‑decile wealth and living standards with most reporting an inheritance.