Risk of poverty or social exclusion lowered in the year before the pandemic
In 2019 the share of population at risk of poverty or social exclusion decreased from 27.3% to 25.6%, in comparison with 2018, due to lower rates of severe material deprivation and low work intensity among households. The share of individuals at risk of poverty remained stable at 20.1%.
In 2018, the average household net income (31,641 euros per year) increased in current values (+0.8%) but not in real terms (-0.4%).
Income inequality was unchanged: the income of the richest quintile of the population was still more than six times higher than the income of the poorest quintile.