While the pension reform has just been passed and the French are waiting for its implementation, questions remain about the current standard of living and the amount of the average pension. Last year, the Department of Research, Studies, Evaluation and Statistics (DREES) published figures on this thorny issue. In this report, it looks in detail at the retirement situation in France. So, what is the average French pension?

According to this study carried out by DREES, French retirees receiving a direct or derived pension numbered 16.9 million at the end of 2020. The number of retirees receiving a direct pension has, in fact, increased by 716,000 people compared to that of 2019. It is estimated that the standard of living of nearly 6.6% of retirees will be below the poverty line in 2020 with a sum fixed at 1102 euros per month in 2022. This scale corresponds to 60% of the median standard of living.

According to the recent DREEs report, the basic schemes pay, on average, a pension amounting to 1,444 euros gross per month, or 1,341 euros net. Including survivors’ pensions, this average rises to 1,689 euros per month. It should be noted that 75% of retirees receive a basic pension of less than 2067 euros gross per month, survivor’s pension included. Among these data, the DREES also notes that 50% of pensioners only have, per month, a pension of less than 1,478 euros gross.