Report Highlights Growing Social Inequality in France
The latest report from the Observatoire des inégalités outlines an increase in disparities across various sectors over the past two decades.
The Observatoire des inégalités has released its biennial report, which presents a comprehensive overview of the widening social inequalities in France over the last twenty years.
The report, published on June 3, 2025, collates data from various sources, including studies conducted by the INSEE, publications from governmental departments, and reports from the General Commission for Sustainable Development.
The findings reveal persistent and rising inequality across income levels, education access, working conditions, lifestyle habits, consumption patterns, and territorial disparities.
Notably, this report includes analysis of environmental inequalities for the first time, although data on these subjects remains limited.
Statistical data in the report indicate that France stands out as one of the most unequal wealthy countries in terms of disposable income.
The top 10% of income earners receive a minimum of 3,653 euros per month, which is at least 3.4 times more than the bottom 10%, who earn less than 1,080 euros.
Among the wealthiest, those in the top 1% earn over 7,500 euros monthly, while the top 0.001% approach 20,000 euros.
These disparities stem from various factors, including social background, wealth inequality, and salary differences, with senior executives earning an average of 2,600 euros more per month than employees, and this gap increases significantly with age.
Education access also reflects significant inequality: 73% of children from families in managerial or intermediate professions have access to higher education, whereas only 41% of children from working-class families achieve the same.
Despite these disparities, the number of young graduates holding at least a bachelor’s degree has increased, and the proportion of 18 to 24-year-olds leaving the education system with only a middle-school level has declined from 11.8% in 2012 to 7.6% in 2022.
Additionally, the report highlights that existing measures and governmental responses continue to fall short of addressing these vast disparities.
Social and economic mobility remains challenging, with entrenched inequalities affecting various aspects of life in France.
The report, published on June 3, 2025, collates data from various sources, including studies conducted by the INSEE, publications from governmental departments, and reports from the General Commission for Sustainable Development.
The findings reveal persistent and rising inequality across income levels, education access, working conditions, lifestyle habits, consumption patterns, and territorial disparities.
Notably, this report includes analysis of environmental inequalities for the first time, although data on these subjects remains limited.
Statistical data in the report indicate that France stands out as one of the most unequal wealthy countries in terms of disposable income.
The top 10% of income earners receive a minimum of 3,653 euros per month, which is at least 3.4 times more than the bottom 10%, who earn less than 1,080 euros.
Among the wealthiest, those in the top 1% earn over 7,500 euros monthly, while the top 0.001% approach 20,000 euros.
These disparities stem from various factors, including social background, wealth inequality, and salary differences, with senior executives earning an average of 2,600 euros more per month than employees, and this gap increases significantly with age.
Education access also reflects significant inequality: 73% of children from families in managerial or intermediate professions have access to higher education, whereas only 41% of children from working-class families achieve the same.
Despite these disparities, the number of young graduates holding at least a bachelor’s degree has increased, and the proportion of 18 to 24-year-olds leaving the education system with only a middle-school level has declined from 11.8% in 2012 to 7.6% in 2022.
Additionally, the report highlights that existing measures and governmental responses continue to fall short of addressing these vast disparities.
Social and economic mobility remains challenging, with entrenched inequalities affecting various aspects of life in France.