The Tax and Social Incomes Survey (ERFS) measures standards of living by combining data from the fourth quarter Employment Survey each year with income from administrative sources.

ERFS enables statistics to be produced and studies to be carried out on the income, standards of living, poverty, and monetary inequalities of individuals living in « ordinary » households in metropolitan France.

Households where the reference person is a student are excluded from the scope of dissemination.

• Declared income : this is the income reported on form no. 2042 ;

• Initial income : this is all income from employment, replacement income and assets before any taxation ;

• Disposable income : this is the income available to the household for consumption and savings.

The components are explained in the document "Concepts of Tax and social incomes survey / ERFS".

Individuals and households

"Ordinary" households whose income declared to the fiscal administration is positive or zero and where the reference person is not a student.

Households living in collective dwellings (hostels, prisons, hospitals, etc.) are excluded, as people living in mobile accommodations (e.g. boatmen) and the homeless

The ERFS surveys are available annually since 2005.

The Labour Force Survey (EEC) underwent a major overhaul in 2021 [document from the Department of Employment and Earned Income, 2021], which required a review of the ERFS production chain.