Insee Focus · April 2026 · n° 380

Material and social deprivation in 2025 Material and social deprivation remained high

At the start of 2025, 13.5% of the population of France living in ordinary housing experienced material and social deprivation. This proportion had risen sharply at the start of 2022 due to high inflation and had remained at a high level for the past four years. The 2025 rate thus exceeded those observed during the previous decade, before the Covid-19 crisis.

Unemployed people were most at risk of deprivation, which affected 35% of them. The share of employed people experiencing deprivation had increased since the start of 2020, regardless of whether they were blue-collar workers, white-collar workers, intermediate‑level professionals, or executives.

30% of people living in single-parent families experienced material and social deprivation, and 20% of those in couples with three or more children. Those were higher proportions than pre-Covid-19.

Although few people reported being unable to afford a car, the disparity in access to vehicles was significant; the wealthiest individuals had much greater access to a vehicle than those with lower incomes.

People experiencing material and social deprivation reported being significantly less satisfied with their lives and were more distrustful of others.