French poverty rate hits 30-year high

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00:00It's a grim milestone for France, as staggering 9.8 million people live below the monetary

00:07poverty threshold, that's 15.4 per cent of the population, according to INSEE's latest

00:13report on the country's standard of living.

00:16The income poverty threshold in France is fixed at 1,288 euros per person per month,

00:24that's 60 per cent of the median income.

00:26Latest data shows that in just one year, 650,000 people have fallen into poverty.

00:33And among those living in poverty in 2023, half have a standard of living lower than 1,041

00:39euros per month, or 19.2 per cent below the poverty threshold.

00:44France's National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies points at inflation and

00:49a decrease in government aid as the possible cause.

00:53This increase can be explained by the end of exceptional assistance, notably the inflation

00:58allowance and the exceptional back-to-school bonus, which had been introduced in 2022 to

01:03support purchasing power.

01:05The other explanation is an increase in the proportion of micro-entrepreneurs with low

01:09incomes among non-salaried workers.

01:12The Foundation for Housing the Disadvantaged in France also noted that electricity and

01:17gas cuts for unpaid bills were skyrocketing, with the number of people claiming to be cold

01:22in their homes almost doubling and rental evictions numbers on a rise.

01:27We are seeing a very worrying trend in political action, or rather political inaction.

01:34It's no longer time for one of measures, we need structural measures.

01:39NGOs are sounding the alarm on France's record poverty rate, pressing the Prime Minister for

01:44action.

01:45The latter has pledged a bold 10-year plan to slash poverty rates.

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