French retirees on average have greater incomes than people who are working in France.
Posted by Raging Moderates with Scott Galloway and Jessica Tarlov, Checked
- Sources
- 2 contradict5 support2 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 55%
Raging Moderates with Scott Galloway and Jessica TarlovOct 27, 2026
The claim holds on the FT analysis of the Luxembourg Income Study, which finds French pensioners over 65 out-earn working-age adults by about 2% after taxes, so the claim is accurate under that measure.
This claim is about the present, so it is judged as of the day it was checked.
What was said
… You know how there's this whole statement on the left of "Eat the rich"? It's not, it's "Eat grandma." And again, the stats I just can't help but go to in France, and it's where we're headed, folks. We're on the same trajectory, we're just a decade behind. French retirees, on average, have greater incomes than people who are working in France, and one third of the education budget is spent on teachers who no longer teach. Old people voting in more old people who vote themselves more money at the cost of young people. …
Raging Moderates with Scott Galloway and Jessica Tarlov · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Contradicts. French official COR analysis finds retirees' standard of living is comparable to the whole population and close to parity with working people, rather than clearly above them.[2]
Contradicts. Le Monde, citing French social ministry statistics, reports that retirees' pensions on average are lower than the incomes of working people, though retirees hold more financial assets.[3]
Supports. A Financial Times analysis of the Luxembourg Income Study, carried by several outlets, finds French retirees over 65 earn about 2% more than working-age adults, after taxes and contributions.[4][5][6][7]
Supports. A Reuters-syndicated commentary from October 2026 states that in France retirees now earn more than working-age adults, though it cites no new data and repeats the older LIS-based comparison.[8]
Context. The Cour des comptes describes retirees' standard of living as similar to that of working people, with a lower poverty rate. Reuters notes French pensions replace a high share of pre-retirement income.[1][9]
Sources
9 sources: 1 fact-checker, 8 not rated
- 1Why France keeps fighting over retirement age | Reutersreuters.com · fact-checker · cited for: context
- 2Le niveau de vie des retraités : décomposition et évolutions ...cor-retraites.fr · not rated · cited for: contradicts
- 3'Retirees are no happier than working people' - LeMonde.frlemonde.fr · not rated · cited for: contradicts
- 4Why French pensioners pocket more than workersthetimes.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 565-year-old retirees in France now have higher incomes ...fortune.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 6At 65, French retirees out-earn workers—while many U.S ...europesays.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 765-year-old retirees in France now have higher incomes than working-age adults—meanwhile, American boomers can't even afford to retireaol.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 8France's fiscal crisis should be a wake-up call for Americarmb.reuters.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 9FINANCIAL SITUATION AND OUTLOOK FOR THE PENSION SYSTEMccomptes.fr · not rated · cited for: context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
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