4 figures help explain the affordability crisis behind France protests

Poverty reaches a record level

INSEE reported that France’s monetary poverty rate was 15.4% in 2024, the highest since its annual records began in 1996. About 9.8 million people in mainland France were below the poverty line.

The figures were published in July and are the latest available. INSEE says poverty calculations take time because they rely on detailed tax and benefits records.

Energy costs have climbed

INSEE data shows energy prices in France rose by more than 60% from 2015 through the first half of 2026. Electricity prices increased 43% over that period. Fuel prices were 31% higher at the end of 2025 than in 2015. Rising fuel costs had already prompted protests in September, and members of that movement joined students and trade unions in the more recent unrest.

Unexpected costs strain households

Eurostat data indicates that 28.8% of people in France lived in households unable to cover an unexpected expense in 2025 without borrowing or seeking financial help. The European Union average was also around 29%. The comparison suggests this measure of financial insecurity is not unique to France, while showing that nearly three in ten people there faced difficulty absorbing an unexpected bill.

Many struggle to make ends meet

Eurostat found that 41.1% of people in France lived in households reporting at least some difficulty making ends meet in 2025. This included 19.4% reporting some difficulty, 13.7% reporting difficulty and 8% reporting great difficulty. The figures show that financial strain extended beyond households below the poverty line as protests widened from student concerns into a broader movement over the cost of living.