Insee Première · March 2023 · n° 1940

People aged 75 and over: lower standards of living but a poverty rate below the population average

The standard of living of elderly people is usually measured only among those living in ordinary households. However, 9% of people aged 75 or more were living in institutions in 2016. If they were included, the median standard of living of the population aged 75 or more in metropolitan France would be lowered by 1%: it would reach 20,160 euros per year in 2016, i.e. 2% less than the population as a whole.

The median standard of living decreases with age: -14% between the 75-79 year olds and the 95 year olds or over. Indeed, the proportion of women increases with age, while the amount of their pensions is lower. In addition, older generations have lower pensions, mainly because their careers were more often incomplete and their occupations less well paid.

People aged 75 and over are much less likely to live below the poverty line: 9%, compared with 14% for the population as a whole. The standard of living of the most disadvantaged elderly people is usually raised by housing benefits, which can be combined with the solidarity allowance for the elderly.