Rich vs. poor: 20 French cities with the greatest social disparities

Liberty, equality, fraternity... There's still room for improvement in some areas, let's face it! This is what the 2025 Inequality Report from the Inequality Observatory indicates, providing a comprehensive overview of social divides in France. Across five chapters (income, education, work, lifestyles, and territories), it methodically analyzes the gaps based on the most recent data. This edition presents a ranking of the 20 most unequal cities, including, notably, 15 in the Paris region .

How can we explain these disparities?

These disparities can be explained by a combination of economic, urban, and social factors . In many municipalities, particularly in the Île-de-France region, the concentration of high incomes is accompanied by the presence of low-income households, often housed in social housing areas or older, still-affordable housing. This forced proximity creates a striking contrast between senior executives and precarious workers. Added to this is a real estate boom that is gradually excluding the middle classes, reinforcing the divide. Some cities, close to business centers or border areas, attract a wealthy population without managing to eliminate local poverty. In short, these gaps reflect a dual urban model, where wealth coexists with precariousness, without always meeting.

Local policies that promote disparities

Another major factor: local planning and housing policies. Indeed, in some very attractive cities, town halls favor high-end real estate programs to attract a wealthy population, to the detriment of social or intermediate housing . This logic reinforces "ghettoization," because it pushes modest households towards already fragile neighborhoods, accentuating spatial segregation. At the same time, the lack of public facilities in poor areas (schools, transport, access to healthcare) further widens inequalities of opportunity. Many wealthy municipalities also choose to assume a policy of discreet exclusion : few accessible housing units, little social diversity, little integration. This choice, whether assumed or not, contributes to freezing territorial inequalities, making any local social advancement difficult. The result: cities become two-sided showcases, where income gaps also reflect differences in destiny.

Which 20 cities have been singled out by the Inequality Observatory? Planet takes stock.