Study warns 10% of people in France face food insecurity within a decade

Scope of extreme poverty and food insecurity

A study published on 5 October 2026 by five economists in Europe and the United States indicates that one in ten people in France risks falling into food insecurity over the coming decade. The report, titled "L'extrême pauvreté dans les pays riches : Analyse empirique sur données françaises", analyses data from the charity Restos du Cœur covering 5.5 million people assisted between 2018 and 2025. Over this seven-year window, the total number of people living in extreme poverty grew by 37%. Annual meal distributions reached 1.3 million beneficiaries in 2025, up from 900,000 recorded before the Covid-19 health crisis. Alexandre Gaillard, an assistant professor of economics at Brown University and associate member of the Toulouse School of Economics, presented the findings during a press conference.

Gaillard explained why extreme deprivation has historically received limited quantitative evaluation.

The phenomenon remains a blind spot of economic studies.

Housing vulnerability and demographic profiles

Residential insecurity expanded by 62% across France between 2018 and 2025, with one in 200 people currently homeless or lacking personal housing. Within the Restos du Cœur recipient cohort, 40% live in precarious housing conditions, which includes emergency shelters, temporary arrangements with third parties, and rough sleeping. Approximately 50% of the charity's beneficiaries live in urban city centres, compared to 30% across the French population as a whole. Children aged zero to nine represent 25% of all individuals facing residential insecurity, compared to a 10% share in the broader population. In the 2024–2025 season, 50% of all people assisted were younger than 25, while 23% of supported households were single-parent families.

Economic drivers and exit trajectories

The researchers examined local economic indicators to isolate the variables that cause households to slip into poverty or escape it. General inflation was responsible for 52% of the increase in homelessness observed since 2018, while rent increases and joblessness proved to be decisive triggers. According to the econometric modeling, a 10% increase in the unemployment rate generates a 13% increase in food insecurity and a 10% increase in residential insecurity. Beneficiaries receive support from the association for an average period of 18 months, indicating continuous turnover within the assisted population. Among those receiving food support, 90% are without employment, comprising 11% retirees, 10% individuals with disabilities, and 3% enrolled students.

Gaillard described the varying lengths of time that individuals depend on food aid networks.

The majority leave food aid after a year and a minority of 14% remain for more than three years.

Public policy levers and structural response

The study evaluated specific government policy levers capable of reversing or containing these poverty dynamics. Interventions focused on price stability, social housing access, and job creation showed direct measurable effects on recipient trajectories. An increase of 10% in the per capita stock of social housing decreases homelessness by approximately 8%. The researchers concluded that targeted fiscal and structural measures addressing housing and employment markets can prevent severe deprivation before households require emergency relief.