Heatwave obliges, it can be tempting to take a dip. French women and men who are lucky enough to own their own swimming pool do not have to wait long in a queue to join the pool made available to each other by the municipality. They are also quite numerous, according to the specialized site Propiscines, which relays a survey carried out in 2018 by the firm Decryptis for the Federation of Pool and Spa Professionals (FPP). At the time, we can read, France had no less than 2.5 million basins. Two years later, continues the same site, the number of happy bathers has increased, since there were then 2.95 million private swimming pools.

But who, in France, are the main owners of such comfort? “We are seeing a phenomenon of democratization of the swimming pool in France”, indicates Jacques Braun, administrator of the FPP, interviewed in April 2022 by Le Figaro for its real estate section. In the space of four years, the propensity of workers, farmers and employees has increased by 10 points among pool owners. What to exceed that of the executives?

In the current state of things, continues the expert, workers, employees and farmers alone account for… 25% of private swimming pools. In 2017, this same part of the population owned only 14.1% of swimming pools. By far, executives and entrepreneurs own the most private pools: together, they account for 41.6% of the country’s personal pools. Retirees represent 33.7% of owners.