Equivalised incomes in 2009

According to the Fiscal and Social Income survey, in 2009 the median equivalised income was 19,080 euros a year, or an increase in constant euros of 0.4% compared to 2008. The 10% of people with the most modest incomes had an equivalised income lower than 10,410 euros while for the 10% most affluent, this level was at least 35,840 euros, or 3.4 times more. The poverty line, which corresponds to 60% of the median equivalised income of the population, stood at 954 euros a month in 2009. 13.5% of people lived below this line, or 8.2 million people. The poverty rate grew by 0.5 points between 2008 and 2009. The increase in the number of poor people may be explained by the rise in unemployment due to the economic crisis. However, one-off measures and a gradual increase in the active solidarity income (RSA) limited the effects of the economic crisis. In 2009, 10.1% of the labour force aged 18 or over were poor, or an increase of 0.6 points compared to 2008. Among the people with a job, it was the self-employed who were affected by the increase in poverty: their poverty rate increased from 15.3% to 16.9%.