France's Parisien: Poverty Rate in France Reaches a 30-Year High, Nearly 10 Million People Fall into Poverty
Parisien reported on July 7 that the latest data from the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE) show that the poverty rate in mainland France has surged to 15.4% in 2023, reaching a historical high since 1996, with about 9.8 million people having monthly incomes below the poverty line (1,288 euros per month for a single person), an increase of 650,000 people compared to 2022. Michel Doye, head of INSEE's department for household resources and living conditions, pointed out, "This level is unprecedented in the past 30 years; if we go back further, we have to go back to the early 1970s." The sharp rise in the poverty rate is mainly due to the termination of temporary government assistance measures in 2022 (such as inflation subsidies and school allowances) and the increased proportion of low-income small businesses among self-employed individuals.
Inequality has also worsened, with the wealth gap reaching its highest level in 30 years in 2023 - the income growth of low-income groups is lower than inflation, while the wealthy benefit from a thriving job market and returns on financial products. Single-parent families (poverty rate increased by 2.9 percentage points) and the unemployed (increased by 0.8 percentage points) remain the hardest hit by poverty. Retirees, due to the increase in the minimum contribution standard in pension reforms, have a lower poverty rate increase (11.1%, +0.3 percentage points).
Manuel Domergue, director of the Foundation for Housing of Vulnerable Groups, criticized the government for "political inaction," saying, "Realities such as power cuts, gas cuts, and a surge in homeless people have sounded the alarm, and structural reforms are needed rather than temporary measures." Delphine Ruyal, president of the anti-poverty alliance "Alerte," questioned the government's "ten-year poverty reduction goal" for lacking specific plans and warned, "Freezing social welfare payments would be unacceptable." This survey did not include residents of overseas departments, the homeless, and those in institutional care; in 2021, the total number of poor people in the whole country reached 11.2 million.
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1837046612355084/
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