According to the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies, more commonly known as INSEE, the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region is ranked as the 3rd poorest region in metropolitan France.
With 850,000 people living in poverty, representing 17% of the inhabitants compared to 14% at the national level, the region lives up to its reputation. Only Hauts-de-France (17.2%) and Corsica (18.3%) fare worse. Some might say the territory is reserved for the wealthy, and it also ranks second in terms of inequality, with a growing gap between areas of wealth and poverty.
What criterion defines a poor person in France? From a monetary viewpoint, a person is considered poor if they live each month with less than 1,120 euros, or 2,350 euros if they are in a couple with two children under the age of 14. And if there is one department that stands out in this context, it is indeed Vaucluse. The numbers are alarming: nearly one in five people is poor in Vaucluse, making it the 5th poorest department in France with a rate of 19.5% compared to 16.2% for the Alpes-Maritimes.
Not surprisingly, young people and single-parent families are particularly exposed
The poverty rate reaches 24.9% for individuals living in a household where the tax referent is under the age of 30, compared to 11.7% where the referent is 75 years or older. The PACA region also ranks high due to a high number of single-parent families. Indeed, 30.2% of the population living in single-parent families is poor, with one in four children being in poverty.
Additionally, housing-related difficulties also characterize impoverished populations in urban areas. The offer of social housing seems insufficient to meet the needs. Many then turn to the private rental market, facing high rent and overcrowded housing. But housing is not the only concerning social factor: employment integration, mobility, access to healthcare, public services, and many other issues particularly affecting the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, seem to persist in the foreseeable future.
