Catalina Espinosa
Research expert covering society, economy, and politics for Europe and the EU
Wealth inequality in France - statistics and facts
Even though wage inequalities have significantly decreased in France in recent decades, wealth inequality remains a structural problem. Indeed, while the monthly minimum wage has been increasing relatively slowly in recent years, the wealthiest have seen their fortune grow more rapidly. For instance, between 2020 and 2025, Bernard Arnault, the richest person in France, more than doubled his fortune.
Moreover, households’ assets were also interrelated to wealth inequalities. In 2021, households in the poorest 10 percent of the French population owned, on average, net assets worth 3,000 euros, while households in the richest 10 percent were worth at least 633,200 euros. Finally, inheritance logically contributed to strengthening wealth inequalities. According to Forbes, in 2025, the youngest French billionaire was Remi Dassault, son of Olivier Dassault, and heir to the Dassault aerospace and software fortune.
Social inequality
Such disparities in living standards were not only due to an unequal distribution of wages. Indeed, according to a study conducted by the General Commissariat for Strategy and Forecasting, in France, social background remained the main factor determining income levels, far before gender or migratory ancestry. Social background, meaning coming from a modest or privileged family, impacted people's revenues in many ways. For instance, it restricted their ability to pursue certain educational paths, which directly affects earnings. Indeed, French people who graduated with professional education diplomas earned less than those who had the opportunity to pursue higher education careers.Moreover, households’ assets were also interrelated to wealth inequalities. In 2021, households in the poorest 10 percent of the French population owned, on average, net assets worth 3,000 euros, while households in the richest 10 percent were worth at least 633,200 euros. Finally, inheritance logically contributed to strengthening wealth inequalities. According to Forbes, in 2025, the youngest French billionaire was Remi Dassault, son of Olivier Dassault, and heir to the Dassault aerospace and software fortune.
Gender inequality
The second factor determining income levels was gender. Even though progress on the gender pay gap was made in the past years, gender remains one of the important causes of wealth inequality. However, in this case, differences in educational opportunities were not the main obstacle to equal pay, since women outnumbered men in higher education courses. Therefore, pay differentials between men and women were mainly due to women's position in the labor market, such as the occupation held or the number of hours worked. For example, women were more likely to work part-time or in low-paid sectors than men. Therefore, income inequalities combined with the social expectation to take care of the household have made women more at risk of poverty than men.Lack of social justice efficiency
In the struggle against wealth inequalities, the State's action towards more effective social justice is crucial, for example, concerning the redistribution process. Indeed, in France, income tax was progressive and based on several income brackets. However, according to some experts, it seemed that proportionally, the ultra-rich paid fewer taxes than most of the French, highlighting the weaknesses of the redistribution process. Finally, tax fraud remained a serious problem in France. It was estimated that, on average, between 80 and 100 billion euros escape the budget of the state and local authorities each year, due to tax evasion and fraud.
