Economy, jobs and prices in Cantal (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France): official figures
GDP per person was 27,000 purchasing power standards (PPS) in 2024, 68% of the EU average (98% for France); 85th highest of 101 departments in France.
How big is the economy of Cantal?
The local economy produced €4.2 billion of output (GDP) in 2024.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people work in Cantal?
About 58,700 people worked in Cantal in 2024 (employment by place of work).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the median income in Cantal?
In 2023 Cantal ranked 39th lowest of 97 departements on median living standard, at €24,820 a year per consumption unit, against €25,920 across metropolitan France.
Source: INSEE · saved copyHow unequal are incomes in Cantal?
The poorest tenth of the population of Cantal lived on less than €14,190 a year in 2023, while the richest tenth had more than €39,470, so the top threshold was 2.8 times the bottom one (metropolitan France: 3.5).
Source: INSEE · saved copyWhere does household income come from in Cantal?
Wages and salaries made up 50.7% of household disposable income in Cantal in 2023 (14.3 points lower than the metropolitan average of 65.0%), and self-employment income a further 7.7%.
Source: INSEE · saved copyWhat is the main industry in Cantal?
The largest part of the economy of Cantal in 2024 was public administration, education, health and other services, at 32.3% of gross value added, followed by finance, property and business services (25.0%).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow industrial is Cantal?
Factories, mines and energy produced 13.0% of the value added in Cantal in 2024, against 13.7% for France.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow fast is the economy of Cantal growing?
Gross value added rose from €3.0 billion in 2015 to €3.8 billion in 2024 in current prices, an increase of 26% before inflation.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat jobs do people do in Cantal?
Of the 58,700 jobs located in Cantal in 2024, 40% in public services, education, health and other services, 10% in industry and 10.2% in farming, forestry and fishing.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyAre jobs growing in Cantal?
The number of people working in Cantal rose by 3.0% between 2015 and 2024, to 58,700.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore figures
- Income inequality in Cantal, measured by the Gini index of living standards, was 0.240 in 2023, 7th least unequal of 97 departements (metropolitan France: 0.297). Source: INSEE · saved copy
- Pensions and annuities supplied 35.1% of disposable income in Cantal in 2023, 19th highest of 97 departements (metropolitan France: 27.2%). Source: INSEE · saved copy
- Income from savings, property and other assets accounted for 13.8% of household income in Cantal in 2023, while direct taxes took the equivalent of 13.4% (metropolitan France: 12.2% and 16.7%). Source: INSEE · saved copy
- Unemployment benefits represented 1.5% of disposable income in Cantal in 2023, compared with 2.4% across metropolitan France. Source: INSEE · saved copy
How Cantal compares with other departments in France
Median living standard (euros a year per consumption unit) (2023)
Cantal ranks 59 of 97, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Median living standard (euros a year per consumption unit) |
|---|---|---|
| 56 | Corrèze | €24,910 |
| 57 | Charente | €24,850 |
| 58 | Ardèche | €24,820 |
| 59 | Cantal | €24,820 |
| 60 | Loire | €24,800 |
| 61 | Aveyron | €24,780 |
| 62 | Gers | €24,770 |
Gini index of living standards (2023)
Cantal ranks 91 of 97, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Gini index of living standards |
|---|---|---|
| 88 | Maine-et-Loire | 0.241 |
| 89 | Haute-Marne | 0.241 |
| 90 | Sarthe | 0.241 |
| 91 | Cantal | 0.240 |
| 92 | Manche | 0.238 |
| 93 | Haute-Loire | 0.238 |
| 94 | Haute-Saône | 0.237 |
Pensions as a share of disposable income (%) (2023)
Cantal ranks 19 of 97, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Pensions as a share of disposable income (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | Orne | 35.5% |
| 17 | Alpes-de-Haute-Provence | 35.2% |
| 18 | Gers | 35.1% |
| 19 | Cantal | 35.1% |
| 20 | Landes | 35.0% |
| 21 | Haute-Marne | 35.0% |
| 22 | Cher | 34.7% |
Wages as a share of disposable income (%) (2023)
Cantal ranks 90 of 97, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Wages as a share of disposable income (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 87 | Charente-Maritime | 51.4% |
| 88 | Aveyron | 51.1% |
| 89 | Ariège | 50.7% |
| 90 | Cantal | 50.7% |
| 91 | Alpes-de-Haute-Provence | 50.5% |
| 92 | Aude | 50.2% |
| 93 | Nièvre | 49.9% |
Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) (2024)
Cantal ranks 68 of 101, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) |
|---|---|---|
| 65 | Seine-et-Marne | 13.6% |
| 66 | Hautes-Pyrénées | 13.6% |
| 67 | Calvados | 13.5% |
| 68 | Cantal | 13.0% |
| 69 | Haute-Vienne | 12.9% |
| 70 | Ille-et-Vilaine | 12.9% |
| 71 | Loire-Atlantique | 12.7% |
Share of output from finance, property and business services (2024)
Cantal ranks 83 of 101, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from finance, property and business services |
|---|---|---|
| 80 | Eure | 25.4% |
| 81 | Réunion | 25.4% |
| 82 | Somme | 25.1% |
| 83 | Cantal | 25.0% |
| 84 | Aisne | 24.9% |
| 85 | Pas-de-Calais | 24.9% |
| 86 | Vienne | 24.8% |
Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services (2024)
Cantal ranks 14 of 101, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Ariège | 33.5% |
| 12 | Hautes-Pyrénées | 33.1% |
| 13 | Aude | 32.5% |
| 14 | Cantal | 32.3% |
| 15 | Meurthe-et-Moselle | 32.2% |
| 16 | Hautes-Alpes | 32.1% |
| 17 | Haute-Corse | 32.1% |
More on Cantal: overview · education and schools · poverty and living standards · government budget · government and politics · Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes · France
Sources
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3gdp: GDP per person, PPS (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 3bf0fc662f56…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3gdp: GDP, million euros (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 096e15e5fdb3…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3empers: Employment, thousand people (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 664e4e3a6dc0…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3empers: Employment (thousand persons) by NUTS 3 region and industry, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 222a97c302d3…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3gva: Gross value added at basic prices by NUTS 3 region and industry, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 c656e8563bdf…)
- INSEE: Indicateurs sur les revenus et la pauvreté au niveau local en 2023 (Filosofi 2023, base FILOSOFI_CC), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 f3822a78e3f5…)
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