In 2020, 36% of the Reunion population lived below the monetary poverty line, earning an income 60% below the median income, according to the latest INSEE estimates.
Réunion is one of the regions and departments of France where poverty is most widespread., behind Mayotte and Guyana. Furthermore, the standard of living of poor households in Reunion is one of the lowest in France, after Paris and its little crown. One in two young households and one in two single-parent families are poor in Reunion Island : like elsewhere in France, these are the populations most affected by poverty. Poverty is more present in the intercommunality of the east of the island. Nearly 23% of poor households are retired households, and households inserted into the labor market, but with significant family responsibilities, represent 11% of the total. The poor population of Réunion is highly dependent on social benefits, which constitute 57% of its income. Without the effects of redistribution, poverty would be even more noticeable, of the order of 50%.
