“There are people who work in pairs but who cannot feed their families”: Ariège, 13th poorest department in France

The Observatory of Inequalities has published a map of poverty in France. Created by geographer Romain Thomas, it lists both the proportion, using color, and the number, using relief, of poor households. Represented in three dimensions, it offers a clear visualization of the number of poor households per area. In Ariège, the map shows disparities within large cities such as Foix and Pamiers, and between rural sectors. The organization is based on data from INSEE (National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies), which reveals that Ariège is the thirteenth department with the highest poverty rate in France.

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We would have liked to see Ariège shine in another type of ranking. Because with 19% of poor households in 2021, the department is in the top 15 in France and finds itself in fifth place in Occitanie, behind Hérault. This rate increased by 1.1 points compared to 2019. The average for the country is 15%. The figures are based on a poverty threshold of 60% of the median income, or €2,028, meaning that a single person is considered poor if their income is less than €1,216 per month, according to 2022 data from INSEE. “Today, compared to before, there are people who work two jobs but who cannot feed their families. Wages are stagnating while costs are increasing. This is what we call the new poor “, remarks Gérard Sévenat, general secretary of Secours populaire.

Pamiers, Foix and Lavelanet among the municipalities with the highest poverty rate

The map displays the share of poor households in squares of 200 meters by 200 meters, according to a color code: the higher the rate, the darker they are. “The tiles provide detailed knowledge in large cities that concentrate inequalities, such as Pamiers and Foix,” explains Anne Brunner, director of studies at the Observatory of Inequalities. Peri-urban areas hover at less than 20% poor households while the tiles darken as they approach the historic center. “Poverty is taking hold more and more, particularly in this department. We have an increase in people coming for help in the broad sense: to feed themselves but also to get out of their situation,” notes Gérard Sévenat .

Lavelanet ranks first among the municipalities of Ariège with 28%, followed by Tarascon-sur-Ariège, Pamiers, Foix and Laroque-d'Olmes in fifth position with 22% of its population in a precarious situation. Neighborhoods in the old centers of Pamiers and Foix concentrate respectively 42 and 41% of poverty, while certain outlying areas account for 5%. In the center of Lavelanet, black tiles appear, showing rates exceeding 45%. “The largest cities are often at the top of the ranking. What is less common is the case of Lavelanet, which is more modest in size,” she notes.

The representation of the data shows its limits: certain people are invisible, such as the homeless and those living in communities, particularly in retirement homes.

The Haut Couserans, dotted with black tiles

“The map gives us an idea of ​​the very high level of poverty in the valley. The proportion of poor people is as high as in the big cities. Such a level in rural areas is a particularity of Ariège,” adds Anne Brunner. On the map, empty areas, without homes, are surrounded by other purple or even black squares, especially in Couserans.

Massat is distinguished by purple areas surrounded by black, particularly at the Port and on the heights. Couserans is the sector with the most black tiles, therefore with +45% poverty, compared to Lower Ariège, tinged with purple (between 20 and 40%) and orange (more than 10%).

The Observatory indicates a limitation of the map for rural areas: in areas where the population is too low, no square is displayed.