Poverty and living standards in Réunion, France: official figures
Disposable household income was 17,200 PPS per person in 2023; 15th highest of 18 regions in France.
How many people in Réunion are at risk of poverty?
The share of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion was 42.3% in 2025, against 20.8% for France; 2nd highest of 17 regions in France.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the poverty rate in Réunion?
36.4% of people in Réunion lived below the poverty line (60% of the metropolitan median) in 2023, the highest of 14 among the regions; the rate for metropolitan France was 15.9%.
Source: Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques (INSEE) · saved copyHow many people receive welfare in Réunion?
Social benefits accounted for 14.7% of household disposable income in Réunion in 2023 (the highest of 14): minimum income benefits 8.1%, housing benefits 2.7% and family benefits 3.9%.
Source: Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques (INSEE) · saved copyWhat is the poverty rate in Réunion?
36.4% of people lived below the poverty line (60% of national median income after social transfers) in 2025, against 16.3% for France as a whole; 2nd highest of 17 regions in France.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people in Réunion cannot afford basic necessities?
In 2025, 13.8% of residents were severely materially and socially deprived (unable to afford 7 or more of 13 everyday necessities), against 7.0% for France as a whole; 2nd highest of 17 regions in France.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many households in Réunion have nobody in work?
22.3% of people under 65 lived in households where adults worked less than a fifth of their potential in 2025, against 8.9% for France as a whole; 2nd highest of 17 regions in France.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the average income in Réunion?
Disposable household income averaged €19,200 per person in 2023, against €24,400 for France as a whole and €21,000 across the EU; 4th lowest of 18 regions in France. In 2013 it was €14,100.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people in Réunion use the internet?
87.6% of people used the internet at least once a week in 2025, against 93.4% for France as a whole; 2nd lowest of 17 regions in France. In 2015 it was 74.0%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore figures
- 87% of households had broadband in 2021. Source: Eurostat · saved copy
- Income inequality in Réunion: the Gini index was 0.330 in 2023 (2nd most unequal of 14), and the richest 20% had 5.2 times the combined standard of living of the poorest 20%. Source: Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques (INSEE) · saved copy
- The top-decile threshold in Réunion was 4.3 times the bottom-decile threshold in 2023 (metropolitan France: 3.5). Source: Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques (INSEE) · saved copy
- A quarter of residents in Réunion had a standard of living under €13,180 in 2023 and a quarter above €29,180. Source: Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques (INSEE) · saved copy
- Réunion had 44 hostels and temporary shelters for adults and families in difficulty in 2025 (including 8 CHRS social reintegration centres) and 0 reception centres for asylum seekers. Source: Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques (INSEE) · saved copy
- Public help desks in Réunion in 2025 included 31 France Services offices and 17 France Travail job-centre sites. Source: Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques (INSEE) · saved copy
- Child protection services in Réunion ran 16 residential homes and 13 educational support services in 2025, and there were 7 services for women in vulnerable situations. Source: Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques (INSEE) · saved copy
- Réunion counted 22 social centres and 66 community social spaces in 2025. Source: Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques (INSEE) · saved copy
- For young children, Réunion had 172 childcare centres and 232 micro-crèches in 2025. Source: Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques (INSEE) · saved copy
How Réunion compares with other regions
Poverty rate at 60% of the metropolitan median (2023)
Réunion ranks 1 of 14, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Poverty rate at 60% of the metropolitan median |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Réunion | 36.4% |
| 2 | Corsica | 20.0% |
| 3 | Hauts-de-France | 19.0% |
| 4 | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | 18.9% |
| 5 | Occitanie | 18.6% |
| 6 | Ile de France | 17.3% |
| 7 | Grand Est | 15.9% |
Gini index of standard of living (2023)
Réunion ranks 2 of 14, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Gini index of standard of living |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ile de France | 0.358 |
| 2 | Réunion | 0.330 |
| 3 | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | 0.314 |
| 4 | Corsica | 0.313 |
| 5 | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | 0.294 |
| 6 | Grand Est | 0.284 |
| 7 | Occitanie | 0.280 |
Share of disposable income from social benefits (2023)
Réunion ranks 1 of 14, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Share of disposable income from social benefits |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Réunion | 14.7% |
| 2 | Hauts-de-France | 6.8% |
| 3 | Occitanie | 6.0% |
| 4 | Normandy | 5.4% |
| 5 | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | 5.1% |
| 6 | Centre — Val de Loire | 5.0% |
| 7 | Corsica | 5.0% |
Shelters and hostels for people in difficulty per 100,000 residents (2025)
Réunion ranks 15 of 17, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Shelters and hostels for people in difficulty per 100,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Pays de la Loire | 7.8 |
| 12 | Centre — Val de Loire | 7.7 |
| 13 | Corsica | 7.1 |
| 14 | Nouvelle-Aquitaine | 6.2 |
| 15 | Réunion | 5.0 |
| 16 | Guadeloupe | 4.4 |
| 17 | Martinique | 4.4 |
At-risk-of-poverty rate (after social transfers) (2025)
Réunion ranks 2 of 17, highest first.
| Rank | Region | At-risk-of-poverty rate (after social transfers) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | French Guiana | 50.7% |
| 2 | Réunion | 36.4% |
| 3 | Guadeloupe | 32.7% |
| 4 | Martinique | 25.2% |
| 5 | Corsica | 23.6% |
| 6 | Occitanie | 19.6% |
| 7 | Hauts-de-France | 19.5% |
Severe material and social deprivation rate (2025)
Réunion ranks 2 of 17, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Severe material and social deprivation rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | French Guiana | 21.1% |
| 2 | Réunion | 13.8% |
| 3 | Guadeloupe | 12.9% |
| 4 | Martinique | 10.6% |
| 5 | Corsica | 9.8% |
| 6 | Hauts-de-France | 8.3% |
| 7 | Occitanie | 7.6% |
People in households with very low work intensity (2025)
Réunion ranks 2 of 17, highest first.
| Rank | Region | People in households with very low work intensity |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | French Guiana | 29.5% |
| 2 | Réunion | 22.3% |
| 3 | Guadeloupe | 21.4% |
| 4 | Martinique | 16.6% |
| 5 | Hauts-de-France | 11.5% |
| 6 | Occitanie | 10.7% |
| 7 | Corsica | 10.4% |
Disposable household income per person (euros) (2023)
Réunion ranks 15 of 18, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Disposable household income per person (euros) |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | Grand Est | €22,800 |
| 13 | Hauts-de-France | €21,400 |
| 14 | Martinique | €20,600 |
| 15 | Réunion | €19,200 |
| 16 | Guadeloupe | €18,900 |
| 17 | French Guiana | €12,000 |
| 18 | Mayotte | €8,500 |
People who use the internet regularly (2025)
Réunion ranks 16 of 17, highest first.
| Rank | Region | People who use the internet regularly |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Corsica | 92.4% |
| 12 | Hauts-de-France | 91.7% |
| 13 | Burgundy-Franche-Comté | 91.0% |
| 14 | French Guiana | 89.9% |
| 15 | Martinique | 87.7% |
| 16 | Réunion | 87.6% |
| 17 | Guadeloupe | 86.6% |
More on Réunion: overview · economy and jobs · health · education and schools · government budget · government and politics · France
Sources
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_2hhinc: Disposable household income per person (PPS), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 bd6019768e9f…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset ilc_peps11n: At risk of poverty or social exclusion, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 94dcf245d20e…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset isoc_r_broad_h: Households with broadband, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b02c9a1ef222…)
- Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques (INSEE): Filosofi 2023: niveau de vie, taux de pauvreté et décomposition du revenu disponible (DS_FILOSOFI_CC), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 cc2cb14103f5…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset isoc_r_iuse_i: Individuals regularly using the internet by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 fb4ff8800853…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset ilc_li41: At-risk-of-poverty rate by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 27849ad61b9a…)
- Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques (INSEE): Base permanente des équipements 2025: number of facilities by type, region level (DS_BPE), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 6062a759ccbb…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset ilc_mdsd18: Severe material and social deprivation rate by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 62e6e6fba571…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset ilc_lvhl21n: People living in households with very low work intensity by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 8b5e993ae943…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_2hhinc: Income of households by NUTS 2 region (euros per inhabitant), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a7441dafca51…)
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