Relative poverty: Share of population below 40% of the median in France
France: Relative poverty: Share of population below 40% of the median was 6.5% in 2023. ▬ Flat
Relative poverty: Share of population below 40% of the median in France, 1970–2023
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median in France stood at 6.5%.
That represents a change of up 4.6% on the previous year and up 36.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median in France peaked at 6.9% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 3.7%, in 2005.
France ranks 54th of 120 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Relative poverty: Share of population below 40% of the median in France, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 5.8% | — |
| 1975 | 6.1% | +5.2% |
| 1979 | 5.5% | -9.8% |
| 1984 | 5.6% | +1.8% |
| 1990 | 4.9% | -12.5% |
| 1996 | 6.7% | +36.7% |
| 1997 | 6.6% | -1.5% |
| 1998 | 5.9% | -10.6% |
| 1999 | 5.9% | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 6.0% | +1.7% |
| 2001 | 5.9% | -1.7% |
| 2002 | 5.0% | -15.3% |
| 2003 | 4.4% | -12.3% |
| 2004 | 4.0% | -8.3% |
| 2005 | 3.7% | -7.6% |
| 2006 | 4.2% | +14.2% |
| 2007 | 4.1% | -3.4% |
| 2008 | 4.6% | +12.1% |
| 2009 | 5.7% | +25.0% |
| 2010 | 5.0% | -12.9% |
| 2011 | 5.1% | +1.2% |
| 2012 | 4.9% | -3.2% |
| 2013 | 4.8% | -2.2% |
| 2014 | 5.3% | +10.1% |
| 2015 | 5.3% | +1.3% |
| 2016 | 5.3% | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 5.0% | -6.7% |
| 2018 | 5.1% | +2.6% |
| 2019 | 6.3% | +23.0% |
| 2020 | 5.8% | -7.2% |
| 2021 | 6.9% | +19.3% |
| 2022 | 6.3% | -9.9% |
| 2023 | 6.5% | +4.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5.8% | 5.5% | 6.1% | 3 |
| 1980s | 5.6% | 5.6% | 5.6% | 1 |
| 1990s | 6.0% | 4.9% | 6.7% | 5 |
| 2000s | 4.8% | 3.7% | 6.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.2% | 4.8% | 6.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.4% | 5.8% | 6.9% | 4 |
Countries ranked near France
More poverty & inequality data for France
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 8 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 1.64 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 6,281 kg per hectare (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate -13.65 % change on previous year (2024)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 43.81 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 43.8% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median in France?
- Relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median in France was 6.5% in 2023, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median recorded in France?
- The highest recorded value was 6.9% in 2021.
- What is the lowest relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median recorded in France?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.7% in 2005.
- How does France rank for relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median?
- France ranks 54th out of 120 countries with data for 2023.
- Is relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median rising or falling in France?
- Over the last ten years it is up 36.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this France data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Relative poverty: Share of population below 40% of the median. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Percentage of population living in households with an income or consumption below 40% of the median.