World · Europe · 7 hrs ago
About 350,000 widows over 60 live in poverty in France, estimate says
About 350,000 widows over 60 in France are estimated to live in poverty, according to a note from the Foundation of Women.
The estimate applies a 2019 poverty rate for retired women living alone to the roughly 2.9 million widows over 60, and counts only those living at home.
The estimate is about twice the number of poor widowers, and poverty means having less than 1,337 euros a month, even after any survivor pension.
These pensions can help, but eligibility rules include a minimum age of 55 and generally require the couple to have been married; some schemes also set income limits or suspend payments if a widow forms a new partnership.
The foundation says the rules leave some widows at risk of hardship and has proposed 11 changes, including extending benefits to civil partners and guaranteeing a minimum income for the poorest widows.
It also wants regular data on widows’ living standards before and after a partner’s death, while the latest available figures on that comparison date from 2012.
About 350,000 widowed women over 60 live below the poverty line in France, according to an estimate by the Women’s Foundation.
The estimate is based on poverty rates among retired women living alone and covers only women living at home.
The foundation says these women have monthly incomes below €1,337, even after receiving a survivor’s pension.
A report published on 9 November makes 11 recommendations, including extending survivor’s pensions to civil-union partners.
The authors say the latest available data on widows’ living standards before and after a spouse’s death date from 2012.
- Who
- About 350,000 widowed women over 60 in France.
- What
- An estimate says they live below the poverty line. The Women’s Foundation also published 11 recommendations.
- When
- 9 November 2026.
- Where
- France.
- Why
- The estimate applies a poverty rate for retired women living alone to the number of widows over 60. The sources do not state a single cause of poverty.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
About 12% of retired women living alone were poor, according to figures cited in the report.
The Women’s Foundation published its report, estimating that about 350,000 widows over 60 live in poverty in France.
- Estimated number
- About 350,000 widowed women over 60
- Estimated share
- About 12% of retired women living alone were poor in 2019
- Monthly income threshold
- Less than €1,337
- Recommendation count
- 11
- Latest data cited
- 2012
What people are saying
Applied to the roughly 2.9 million widows over 60, this rate represents around 350,000 women
widowhood should no longer mean precarity
the key to widows’ economic situation
a patriarchy from beyond the grave