Nine million people were in a situation of “material and social deprivation” in 2022 in metropolitan France, a level never reached until now, according to the French Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (Insee).
This represents 14% of people living in ordinary housing and it is the “highest level since 2013, the first year in which it was measured”, according to a study by Insee, published Thursday, recalling that this rate reached 13.4% in 2020, and 12.4% in 2013.
“This indicator identifies people who cannot cover the expenses related to at least five elements of daily life among thirteen”, such as being able to heat their home to the right temperature, buy new clothes, access the Internet or meet with friends around a meal at least once a month, specifies the same source.
The increase in the deprivation rate is notably due to the rise in energy prices: 10.2% of households indicate that they cannot heat their home sufficiently, compared to 6.1% in 2021 and 5% in 2018.
The Institute of Statistics sees in this in particular the impact of the increase in the price of domestic fuel oil, “heating fuel that vulnerable households use more than others”.
According to INSEE, the deprivation rate depends enormously on the composition of households: it reaches 6.8% among childless couples, 15.8% among single people, and 31.1% among single-parent families.
In EU countries, the deprivation rate averaged 12.7%, but only 11.5% in Germany, 9% in Italy and less than 5% in Luxembourg, Scandinavia and some Eastern countries.