A study published on Monday, October 5, reveals that more people than ever in France are living in poverty, according to research conducted by five economists. The study examines how public policies affect poverty and was made possible by an extensive database from Restos du Cœur, France's largest food aid organization. Between 2018 and 2025, 5.5 million individuals used food aid from Restos du Cœur at least once. On average, these individuals received assistance for 18 months, with most leaving the program after one year and a smaller group of 14% remaining for more than three years. The study predicts that one in ten people in France could face food insecurity within the next decade. The research, based on data from 5.5 million unique visitors to Restos du Cœur over the past eight years, aims to understand who in France falls into extreme poverty, why it happens, how long it lasts, and what helps people escape it. It provides new insights into how poverty develops and persists in the country, highlighting that extreme poverty is an area that has been "a blind spot in economic studies," mainly due to a lack of data on the most vulnerable populations. Alexandre Gaillard, an assistant professor of economics at Brown University, emphasized this point during a press conference. Most of those receiving aid are unemployed, which includes 3% of students, 10% of people with disabilities, and 11% of retirees. Over a third (40%) of the individuals are in situations of "residential precariousness," meaning they are staying with others, in emergency housing, or homeless. Among them, 25% are children under the age of ten. Researchers analyzed various factors that contribute to entering and exiting such difficult conditions, including unemployment rates, average income, inflation, the number of companies, and the availability of social housing. The study found that rising unemployment and increasing rent prices are major contributors to falling into extreme poverty. A 10% increase in the unemployment rate leads to a 13% increase in food insecurity and a 10% increase in residential insecurity. The study concludes that public policies that affect the labor and housing markets can help prevent people from falling into extreme poverty. However, it found that broader economic factors do not significantly influence people's ability to leave such situations. According to the research, families already in poverty need "early and targeted support" to escape it. The study also notes that similar patterns are not limited to France, though the focus of the research is on the country's specific circumstances.