Poverty: for 63% of French people, solidarity must be earned, according to a survey

More than eight out of ten French people consider social minimums essential, but almost two thirds think that solidarity should be reserved for the “most deserving”, according to an OpinionWay survey presented Thursday by Secours catholique in its annual report on poverty. A few months before the presidential election, the association wanted to confront the French view of poverty with the realities experienced by the million people it supported in 2025.

Among Catholic Relief beneficiaries, nearly 95% lived below the poverty line last year (60% of the median income, or 1,350 euros for a single person in 2025), or +3.2 points compared to 2015. Three quarters lived below the extreme poverty line (40% of the median income, or 899 euros in 2025), or +10.6 points. 27.3% do not even have any resources, up 60% since 2015.

Their median income has fallen by more than 100 euros over the last ten years: it stood at 568 euros per month in 2025, compared to 670 euros in 2015, according to its annual report. A large majority of respondents paint a picture similar to the findings of Secours catholique, estimating that poverty has increased over the past ten years (80%), but their view of social assistance appears “ambivalent”, notes the report.

If 82% consider social minimums essential and 63% believe that they do not allow them to live with dignity, 63% also think that they “discourage people from working” and 81% consider them to be “poorly distributed”. Thus, 63% believe that “society should only show solidarity with the most deserving people”, notes the association, which highlights the absence of a precise definition of this “merit”. Secours catholique sees “the effects of stigmatization and biased discourse” on poverty.

Finally, 52% of respondents do not believe that poverty is transmitted from generation to generation. However, according to the OECD, it takes on average six generations in France for a child born in a poor household to reach the average standard of living. The survey was carried out online from April 16 to 22, 2026 among 2,008 people representative of the French population, using the quota method.