Half of French earned less than 20,150 euros per year in 2014 – Le Figaro

According to the latest figures from INSEE, France, the living standards of the poor as one of the richest stagnating. Nearly 9 million people live below the poverty line.

The effects of the 2008 crisis are still being felt on the standard of living of French. In 2014, half of the households living on less than 20,150 euros a year, or 1,679 euros per month, according to the survey tax and social income (ERFS) of the French Institute of Statistics (INSEE). The study shows as well as their living tramples. Between 2013, when the median income was just 20,000 euros per year, and in 2014 it grew by only 0.2% while continuing its stagnation in average climbed 1.4% per year between 1996 and 2008, before the crisis.

Since this is a median that divides the population into two, we must of course assume that the other half of households live with more. But what the study shows above all is that the halt was felt in 2014 by wealthier as by more modest. “In 2013, the evolution of living was positive in the bottom of the distribution and negative in the above: therefore inequality is reduced,” says INSEE. In 2014, if the rich have suffered a decline in compensation of their assets (decrease in interest rates and the performance of life insurance), the poor also suffered a decline in earned income, precise investigation. In 2014, 10% of the poorest people and had a standard of living lower than 10.770 annual euros (10,730 euros in 2013 and 10,610 euros in 2012) and the wealthiest 10% of a standard of living at least 3.5 times higher, beyond 37,260 euros (37,200 euros in 2013 and 37,430 euros in 2012).

Meanwhile the number of people living below the poverty stagnated too. After a slight decline in 2012 (13.9% against 14.3% in 2011), the share of people living on less than 1008 euros per month (60% of the median standard of living) reached 14.1% of the population . This represents 8.8 million French. INSEE said that the structure of the poor remains “broadly unchanged”. The poverty rate of employed remained stable (7.7% in 2014) with a median income amounting to 22,320 euros for employees. Independent however suffer more with a decline in earned income (+ 0.9% to 18.8% of poor people). The study mentions the increase in the number of autoentrepreneurs as a possible explanation. Ebbs poverty among the unemployed (- 0.7%) due primarily to the growing number of unemployed older but also increasing the number of occupants recipients previously senior positions which mechanically pulls the amount of compensation to the top. Retirees fared a little better thanks to successive revaluations of minimum old age but also the arrival of people whose level of pension is higher (7.6% of people living below against 7.9% in 2013 ). Finally, single-parent families dependent in 80% of cases the only wage the mother, are three times more often poor than couples with children (35.9% against 11.4%). “It is they who, in 2014, the fastest deterioration: their share of the poor going from 21.9% in 2013 to 23.2% in 2014 and the poverty rate is rising (+ 1.4 in 2014), “explains INSEE.