- More than five million people currently live in overcrowded housing in France, a phenomenon that is mainly found in large cities.
- Single-parent families of children under the age of 10 are the hardest hit.
- In this period of confinement, nearly 2.4 million people living alone are 75 years of age or older.
Never has economic and social inequality been more visible than in this period of confinement. Decreed since March 17 in France to stem the epidemic of coronavirus, this device of isolation of the population also has the consequence of degrading the living conditions of millions of households.
In a study published on Tuesday, the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE) highlights the great disparities that cross our society today in terms of housing and isolation in the era of the fight against the Covid-19.
Housing too small for 5 million French people
A figure highlighted in the INSEE data makes it possible to measure the impact of the confined daily life. In France, the institute estimates that five million people currently live in overcrowded housing. This means that a household lacks at least one room compared to an occupation deemed normal (one living room, one room for each person) compared to the size of this family. Note, however, that people living alone in a studio, like many students or young workers for example, were not counted in this study.
Contacted by 20 Minutes, Valérie Darriau, head of the Statistics and urban analysis division of INSEE, explains: “This overcrowding is concentrated in large cities and mainly affects the most modest households, single-parent families and couples with elderly children under the age of ten ". Almost 25% of these couples with young children are affected.
And this situation affects more inhabitants of the so-called "priority" districts (QPV) of Ile-de-France with more than 25% of households affected. This rate climbs even more in certain municipalities: in Grigny (Essonne) for example, the share of families living in housing deemed too small for the size of the household concerns more than a third of the inhabitants.
Old age, isolation and precariousness
Another point highlighted by the study: the large share of elderly people among people living alone during this period of confinement. In total, 16% of the population lives alone, or 10.5 million people. Among them, just over two million are 75 years of age or older. Again, the phenomenon is mainly concentrated in large cities.
To this are sometimes added other factors which further weaken. “Among these single elderly people, we also looked at the share of poor people. This is an indicator that seemed important to us and it concerns nearly 270,000 people in mainland France. In some regions, Corsica, Occitania and New Aquitaine for example, we measure significant poverty rates compared to the national average, ”continues Valérie Darriau.
Our file on the coronavirus
The lack of access to the Internet for part of this population can also encourage this isolation. In its study, INSEE specifies that "12% of people still do not have access to the Internet at home, regardless of the type of device (computer, tablet or mobile phone)". A percentage that also varies according to the territories and the age of the population since 53% of people aged 75 or over are devoid of connection.
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- INSEE
- Housing
- Suburbs
- Containment
- Society
- The elderly
- Poverty
- Covid 19
- Coronavirus