Map shows average income of households near you in France
Compare your income and standard of living with others in your area, and in the rest of the country
How much does your household earn, and how does your corresponding quality of life compare to your area?Skrypnykov Dmytro / FigDATA / Le Figaro / INSEE
The income for the median standard of living in France is €2,000 per person per month, new data shows, although there are significant geographical disparities in terms of the quality of life this brings.
The median amount means that half of the population in France earns a lower income, while the other half earns more, show figures from national statistics institute INSEE.
Yet, this level of income does not guarantee the same level of comfort in every part of the country.
How much is needed for a good standard of living?
INSEE estimates that the threshold for “financial comfort” is 1.8 times’ the median income (€3,600 per person per month).
Similarly, the amount that makes you “wealthy” in your area depends on where you live.
For example, those living near the Swiss border who are in the top 10% of income and standard of living have an average yearly income of €75,560, while other areas in the north of France have an average income of €32,000.
Newspaper Le Figaro has used INSEE data to create an interactive map that enables you to compare your standard of living with that of others in our area, and check how your income compares.
The map focuses on some 300 employment areas defined by INSEE. These territories group together areas in which the majority of the working population live. It does not include the small towns with fewer than 500 residents.
The tool asks you to enter the number of people in your household aged over 14, and the number under 14. It then asks for your household income per year (after tax). The results show how your income compares to the median in your area.
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You can also zoom in closer to your area (see a screenshot of the interactive map below).
The map is also colour coded, so you can see at a glance the median income per area:
Dark pink: From €19,120
Medium pink: From €21,250
Light pink: From €22,350
Light green: From €23,650
Medium green: From €25,600
Dark green: From €29,590 to €33,100
A screenshot of the interactive map created by Le Figaro, using INSEE data from multiple studiesFigDATA / INSEE
The data comes from several INSEE sources.
These are the Structure et distribution des revenus, inégalité des niveaux de vie en 2021 (revenue spread and inequality of living) study, the Base des zones d'emploi 2020 areas (employment zones), and the most recent Les revenus et le patrimoine des ménages (household revenue) report.
What makes you rich in France?
The question of how much money makes you “rich” in France is frequently asked by studies and surveys.
In January 2024, Paris-based economic observatory l’Observatoire français des conjonctures économiques (OFCE) found that individuals are considered to be rich if they earn more than €3,860 (€46,320 per year) and poor if they earn less than €965 per month (€11,580 per year).
In June 2024, equality think tank L’Observatoire des inégalités said that the monthly after-tax income that makes you rich is €3,860, increasing to €5,790 net for a couple without children, and €9,650 net for a family with two children over 14.
It also found that €3,489 net per month puts you in the top 10% for income in France (slightly below the ‘rich’ threshold), while €4,417 net puts you in the top 5%, and €7,180 net puts you in the top 1%. A single person receiving €3,900 net per month means that they are earning more than 93% of the population, the study added.
