French households increasingly worried about poverty: Report

PARIS (AA) – A growing number of French people are struggling to make ends meet due to the cost-of-living crisis, according to a new survey by the Secours populaire francais.

The French non-profit organization, dedicated to fighting poverty and discrimination in public life, released its poverty barometer on Wednesday.

Some 48% of the citizens surveyed said they can no longer put money aside because of the general rise in prices. Some 36% of them said they are struggling to make ends meet amid high inflation and skyrocketing energy prices.

Nearly half of the respondents said they have an empty bank account. Students are among "the most affected" by the rise in prices.

With inflation at its highest level since 1985, the living conditions of the French have also deteriorated significantly, according to the report.

The situation worsens among the poorest, since 44% of households with a net monthly income of less than €1,200 ($1,195) are said to be living in overdraft.

Secours populaire also said the fear of falling into precariousness "has spread like wildfire: the increase compared to 2021 is 14 points."

Compared to 2021, difficulties are increasing in all areas of expenditure related to food – particularly for the consumption of fruit and vegetables – as well as energy and transport.

The report stressed that the French "are increasingly confronted with poverty, both in their own lives and in the lives of those close to them," with 65% of them stating that "they have noticed that someone close to them seems to be confronted with it today," which is a figure that jumps by no less than 10 points compared to 2021.