Insee Focus · April 2021 · n° 232

In 2018, 18% of households in France had ever received wealth gifts and 8% had ever given ones

At the beginning of 2018, 18% of households in France had ever received a wealth gift during their lifetime and 8% had ever given one.

Wealth transmission by gift occurs late in the life cycle: 65% of givers are aged 70 or over and 80% of recipients are at least 40 years old. Givers, but also recipients, are wealthier than households as a whole: the average net wealth of givers is 613,000 euros and that of recipients is 472,300 euros, compared with 239,900 euros for all households. Among the 10% wealthiest households, 43% have ever received a gift in their lifetime and 23% have ever given one.