€23,320. This is the median standard of living in mainland France, Martinique and Reunion in 2020, according to the latest INSEE study published in January 2023. A figure which “however masks contrasting situations depending on the territory”, specifies the ‘institute. In four departments of metropolitan France, the standard of living is well above:

In others, this figure is much lower and unsurprisingly, “these disparities in standard of living translate into notable differences in terms of poverty”, explains INSEE. In 11 departments, the poverty rate is much higher than elsewhere and the four departments above are not included. In these countries, situations of poverty are therefore logically less frequent.

“Territorial disparities in income and poverty are marked according, on the one hand, to the number of inhabitants of the areas of attraction of the cities, and on the other hand, within them, the location in the pole or the crown”, adds Insee. All areas – except those with less than 50,000 inhabitants – have a poverty rate that varies from simple to double from the crown to the pole: “The median standards of living are generally lower in the poles than in the crowns” .

In these 11 departments, the poverty rate is among the highest in the country. Is your territory on the list? Check out the leaderboard to find out.