In 2024, 22.4% of children under 18 in mainland France were living below the monetary poverty line, according to Insee, France’s national statistics office. That is around 2.9 million children. The rate rose by half a percentage point in a year and is well above the rate for the population as a whole, which held steady at 15.4%.
Child poverty in France is measured on the basis of household income. A child is considered poor when their family’s standard of living is below 60% of the median standard of living. These figures, published by Insee on 9 July 2026, cover incomes for the year 2024.
How many children live below the poverty line in France?
According to Insee, 2,918,000 children under 18 were living below the poverty line in 2024, or 22.4% of them. Minors remain the hardest-hit age group. Their rate is higher than that of 18 to 29-year-olds, at 18.6%, and far higher than that of 65 to 74-year-olds, at 10.6%.
The recent trend points the same way. The poverty rate among minors was 20.6% in 2021 and 20.4% in 2022, then 21.9% in 2023, before reaching 22.4% in 2024. Insee notes that the 2020 figure, 19.3%, is less reliable because of the conditions under which data were collected that year.
For the population as a whole, the poverty rate stood at 15.4% in 2024, the same as in 2023. This is the highest level since the series began in 1996. It affects 9.8 million people.
Where is the poverty line for a family?
In 2024, the poverty line was €1,337 a month for a single person. Beyond that, it depends on the make-up of the household, according to the equivalence scale used by Insee:
- A couple without children is below the line if they have less than €2,005 a month.
- Each child under 14 adds €401 to the line.
- Each child aged 14 or over adds €669.
For a couple with a baby, the line is therefore around €2,406 a month. For a single parent with a child under 14, it is about €1,738. These amounts refer to disposable income: earnings plus social benefits, minus direct taxes.
The median standard of living, used as the benchmark, is €26,740 a year per consumption unit, or €2,228 a month for a single person. It rose by 1.8% in real terms (constant euros) in 2024.
Child poverty in France: the families most at risk
Single-parent families
Single-parent families remain by far the hardest hit. In 2024, 34.0% of people living in them were poor, compared with 34.3% in 2023. That is nearly 2 million people. A single income has to cover the needs of the whole family.
Couples with children
The poverty rate for people living as a couple with children rose from 13.6% in 2023 to 14.3% in 2024. This increase mirrors the one seen among minors. In its publication, Insee does not break the rate down by number of children.
Material and social deprivation
Monetary poverty doesn’t tell the whole story. Insee also measures material and social deprivation, meaning being unable to afford certain everyday expenses. According to provisional data for 2025, it affects 30.2% of single-parent families and 20.3% of couples with three or more children. It affects 8.0% of couples with two children and 7.5% of couples with one child.
Is poverty more severe than before?
Yes, slightly. The poverty intensity measures the gap between the standard of living of people in poverty and the poverty line. It rose from 19.2% in 2023 to 19.7% in 2024. In practical terms, the median standard of living of people in poverty is €1,074 a month, well short of the €1,337 line.
Inequality is rising too. The Gini coefficient reached 0.302 in 2024, its highest level since 1996. The income ceiling of the poorest 10% rose by 1.7%. Insee points out that solidarity benefits and family allowances were uprated by 4.6% on 1 April 2024.
What exactly do these figures measure?
There are a few limitations worth knowing to read this data correctly:
- Geographical scope: mainland France only. The overseas departments are not included.
- People outside ordinary housing: homeless people and those living in institutions are excluded. Homeless children are therefore not counted.
- A relative threshold: it depends on median income. If all incomes rise, the threshold rises too.
- Children’s ages: Insee publishes a single rate for under-18s. This publication contains no specific data for children under 3.
- European comparison: according to the European SILC survey, which uses a different scope and method, France’s poverty rate was 16.3% in 2024, in line with the EU average.
What this means for families with a young child
Having a child automatically raises a household’s poverty line without increasing its income. Parental leave, part-time work or a separation can then tip an already tight budget over the edge. Family benefits act as a cushion, especially in the early years.
The most extreme form of this poverty is having no home at all: we take a closer look at the UNICEF–FAS barometer (FAS is the Fédération des acteurs de la solidarité, a French federation of social organisations) in our article on children sleeping rough in France.
Several benefits are linked to the birth and the early years. The birth grant (prime de naissance) is means-tested and paid before the baby arrives. The Paje basic allowance (prestation d’accueil du jeune enfant) then takes over every month until the child turns 3. The childcare supplement (complément de libre choix du mode de garde, CMG) reduces the cost of a registered childminder.
Single parents will find practical tips in our article on single parenting with a baby. To draw up a realistic budget from pregnancy onwards, our guide to the baby budget for the first year breaks down the main costs. It also covers the savings that really count, such as buying second-hand and choosing gear that lasts.
Key takeaways
- 22.4% of under-18s were living below the poverty line in 2024, around 2.9 million children.
- The rate has been rising since 2022 and remains the highest of all age groups.
- The line is €1,337 a month for a single person and around €2,406 for a couple with a baby.
- Single-parent families are the most at risk, with a poverty rate of 34.0%.
- Homeless children and those in the overseas territories are not covered by these figures.
Sources
- Insee, Christelle Rieg and Arnaud Rousset, “Niveau de vie et pauvreté en 2024”, Insee Première n° 2117, 9 July 2026.
- Insee, “Pauvreté selon l’âge et le seuil”, data table, updated 9 July 2026.
- Insee, “L’essentiel sur… la pauvreté”, 9 July 2026, with a correction dated 14 September 2026.
