- In its report on "The rich in France," the Observatory of inequalities considers that with 3,470 euros net monthly, a single person enters the privileged club.
- Financial comfort which translates into distinctive practices in the areas of consumption, leisure, holidays, etc.
No need for them to do their accounts, or worry about the disastrous tomorrows. In France, the wealthy French, "the first of the ropes" as Emmanuel Macron calls them, represent 8.2% of the population. For the first time, the Inequalities Observatory scanned them in its report entitled "The rich in France" published on Tuesday.
"We consider as rich a single person with incomes from 3,470 euros net monthly after tax and 7,287 euros for a couple with two children", explains Louis Maurin, the president of the Observatory. And if it were necessary to draw a robot portrait of these rich people, 70% of them are over 50 years old, 40% are retired. “They are most often executives, liberal professions or high officials. Among them are pilots, engineers, lawyers, doctors, pharmacists, lawyers, financial advisers… ”, says Anne Brunner, director of studies at the Observatory of inequalities.
"For them, it is good to live in-between"
Financial comfort that translates into a very comfortable lifestyle on a daily basis. And that is first noticeable in their housing conditions. Among the richest 10%, one in three lives in the Paris region (in cities such as Neuilly-sur-Seine, Saint-Cloud, Saint-Mandé…) and one in ten lives in the capital. In the provinces, they favor large cities like Lyon or small rupine communities like Veyrier-du-Lac (suburb of Annecy) or Divonne-les-Bains (Ain)…
"Because for them, it is good to live in-between," comments Anne Brunner. And who says big wallet, says space. The wealthy often live in dwellings that are "severely under-populated," said the report. "We could define as wealthy one who has a house of at least 60 m2 for himself," he says. And at least 90 square meters for a couple. Access to property does not seem a problem for these happy few either, since 82% of them are owners. "During confinement, some made their beautiful accommodation visible on social networks," said Louis Maurin. A way to proudly display their privileged living conditions.
Holidays that speak volumes
This financial comfort is accompanied by other external signs of wealth. “At one time, it was said that if you didn't have a Rolex at 50, you had missed your life. But now, the external signs of wealth are more through access to certain services or certain leisure activities, ”comments Louis Maurin. Nevertheless, the cult of the flashy car is not dead. And that wealthy people often travel in very high-end sedans (like a BMW 5 or 6 series), in luxury models (Renault Talisman or Peugeot 508), in 4x4 or in SUV. Their social position is also reflected in their vacation choices. "To be rich is to go where you want, when you want, without having to worry about planning it well in advance to avoid prices that increase at the last moment," said the report.
In this respect, the winter holidays are particularly a social marker: the wealthy often take vacations during this period, and what is more, a ski holiday. And they regularly use the plane for their holidays: according to 2008 data from the Ministry of Transport, the richest 10% took at least 1.2 times the plane each year at that time. As air traffic has increased since then, one can imagine that the most affluent flights also experienced a jump. For the holidays, wealthy households can also count on their second home. Because according to INSEE, two-thirds of owners of secondary housing are among the quarter of the richest population.
They have more control over their time
Having the means also means being able to practice expensive leisure activities, such as horse riding, tennis, golf, water sports. And executives are three times more likely than the rest of the French population to go to the opera, to attend a concert of jazz or classical music. Outings which are attractive in more ways than one: "sports and leisure are also occasions for meetings where you show yourself, where you pass on useful information", underlines the report. And the fact of having an extensive knowledge network also constitutes "a form of wealth", because the privileged people render mutual services, help each other to find work ...
And when you are among the wealthiest, you can also get more help on a daily basis. For cleaning, babysitting, gardening. In fact, 25% of the wealthier use home service jobs. Which frees up their time. A time that they master more than people who are more disadvantaged also because they have "room for maneuver" in their working hours, do not work "when the others are on leave or on weekends", underlines the report . What if that was true luxury?
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