A working couple with two children needs at least 3,381 euros in income per month to claim a "
decent
" life, which is much more than the poverty line officially used by INSEE, according to the calculations of a study published Wednesday, December 14.
This is the "
reference budget
" allowing not to "
survive
", but to "
feel a stakeholder in society
", underline the authors of this report, drawn up by the National Council for Policies to Combat Poverty (CNLE), an organization attached to Matignon.
3381 euros per month to live properly
While spending on food, clothing and health is generally the same everywhere, spending on housing, transport or childcare differs greatly depending on the territory.
Consequently, the authors of this study - who relied on "
groups of citizens
" from all social backgrounds, whom they asked to define their own needs - calculated, for each type of family, a "
decent income
" in rural areas, another in medium-sized towns, and a final one in the Paris region.
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Result: a couple with two children needs 3,381 euros per month to live properly in social housing in an average city.
But the "
decent
" budget of this family can go up to 4,451 euros per month if it is housed in the private park in Ile-de-France.
Amounts to be compared to the poverty line defined by INSEE for such a family, ie 2,314 euros per month (corresponding to 60% of the median income).
The study concludes that it is in medium-sized towns that it is easiest to have a "
decent
" life: in Paris or its suburbs, rents are higher, and in rural areas there is a scarcity of transport and public services (such as childcare) that are expensive.