Have you ever wondered if you belong to the working, middle or upper classes? This crucial question is often left unanswered. Yet data does exist.
To determine which social category one belongs to, one must first set income thresholds. The observatory of inequalities began with the poverty line, which corresponds to half of the median income, i.e. the income below which 50% of the population is located and above which 50% of population. Popular categories are all people with incomes in the bottom 30%. The middle classes are between this 30% and the richest 20%, which we call the “affluent classes”. The wealth threshold is set at twice the median income. Now for the theory.
In practice, you will find in the table below all these calculations and you will be able to situate yourself. It is important to note that the level of income required to be considered rich or poor varies according to the composition of the family. The Inequality Observatory has therefore established thresholds for different types of households, taking into account the size of the family.
Here are some examples to help you situate yourself:
- For a single person, they are considered poor if their disposable income is less than 940 euros per month. Up to 1,500 euros, it belongs to the working classes and between 1,500 and 2,700 euros to the middle classes. She is described as wealthy above 2,700 euros and rich above 3,800 euros per month.
- For a childless couple, the poverty line is 1,411 euros per month. These couples belong to the middle classes if they have an income of between 2,200 euros and 4,000 euros. They are rich above 5,600 euros.
- For a couple with two children over 14, they are classified as poor if their monthly income is less than 2,350 euros, as middle class between 3,738 and 6,700 euros and as rich above 9,400 euros.
We hope this information helps you better understand where you are on the income scale. Remember that these thresholds are based on Insee data for 2020, the latest available, and may vary over time.