Poverty very prominent in the city centres of large urban hubs

In 2012 in Metropolitan France, the poverty rate was highest in the North and South-East and in Seine-Saint-Denis. The poverty rate was highest in the city centres of large urban areas, where poverty particularly affected single-parent families, large families and young families, and outside the city areas. There were often great inequalities in living standards within regions and departments; these were most pronounced in Paris, in Hauts-de-Seine and in Haute-Savoie, due to the particularly high standard of living of the wealthy members of the population living there. The median standard of living was generally higher in urban areas, particularly in the suburbs of the major large urban centres. For the poorest people, there was a high proportion of social benefits in their disposable income, although this varied greatly according to the region; the proportion was greatest in city centres where it represented on average 46% of disposable income for the 10% poorest people. Conversely, for the most affluent, the share of property income was dominant: in the city centres, where the strongest inequalities were often concentrated, it represented on average 30% of disposable income for the 10% wealthiest people.