Insee Focus · July 2024 · n° 330

In 2023, the proportion of people experiencing material and social deprivation was still high

At the start of 2023, 13.6% of the population experienced material and social deprivation. In mainland France, this rate has stabilised at a relatively high level, one point above the average for the last decade.

One person in ten lived in a household that could not afford to heat its home properly, and one person in ten could not afford to eat a meal containing protein every other day. With prices rising sharply, particularly for energy and food, these deprivations became more frequent than in the previous year. On the contrary, rent arrears were less frequent.

Single-parent families, large families and blue-collar workers are most at risk of deprivation. In addition, the more difficult the family's financial situation was in adolescence, the higher the risk of material and social deprivation is in adulthood. People living in rural areas experience on average less deprivation than people living in urban areas. Between 2020 and 2023, the gap between rural and urban areas has narrowed.