Section 1 - Overview of employment and income of the self-employed

(Laure Omalek, Laurence Rioux)

In 2011 there were 2.8 million self-employed workers in France, encompassing farmers, traders, craftspeople, and the liberal professions . This figure represents one tenth of the labour force. In the non-agricultural sectors, the number increased by 26% between 2006 and 2011, partly as a result of the creation of the "auto-entrepreneur" status in 2009. By the end of 2011, nearly half a million auto-entrepreneurs were economically active, corresponding to one in five self-employed workers in the non-agricultural sectors. "Traditional" self-employed workers earned a monthly average of 3100 euros net. The legal, medical and pharmacy professions are the best paid; the least well paid are the out-of-store retail trade, the arts and entertainment, hairdressing, taxis and teaching. Auto-entrepreneurs earn an average of 460 euros per month, with little difference between sectors. Income inequalities are far more marked than among salaried workers: the least well paid half of "traditional" self-employed workers earning a positive income corresponds to only 15% of self-employed earned income, whereas the best paid 10% account for 41%. 2.8 million self-employed workers with a variety of profiles

At the end of 2011, 2.8 million people in France had a self-employed activity as their main occupation or as a complement to a salaried activity. They represent one tenth of the labour force, scarcely more than one in twenty in the inner suburbs of Paris and as much as one in five in the departments of Alpes de Haute-Provence and Hautes-Alpes. 15% of self-employed workers are managers of agricultural holdings. The others, craftspeople, traders or the Professions, display a wide variety of profiles. Half of them work in trade and commercial handicrafts (21%), healthcare (17%) and construction (14%), sectors that comprise only one third of salaried workers in the private sector.

Driven by the auto-entrepreneur status, the number of non-agricultural, self-employed workers progressed by 26% between 2006 and 2011

After decades of decline, the number of self-employed workers has ceased to diminish since the beginning of the 2000s. From 2006 to 2011, excluding the agricultural sector, it grew by 26%, and much more in the mixed and business services sectors (particularly management consulting, advertising, design, IT and audio-visual). This momentum has been largely driven by the success of the auto-entrepreneur status: at the end of 2011, only three years after its creation, 487,000 auto- entrepreneurs were economically active (generating turnover) i.e. one out of five self-employed workers.

One man in five in construction, one woman in five in hairdressing or independent nursing Although their presence in self-employment is gradually increasing, in 2011 women accounted for only one third of non-agricultural workers and one quarter of workers in the agricultural sector. Only minimally present in construction and transport, women are more numerous in personal services and

constitute a majority in the health sector. One man in five works in the building sector whereas one
woman in five is a hairdresser or self-employed nurse.

The main sectors occupied by women: and by men:

Coiffure et soins de beauté Commerce de détail en magasin Infirmières et sages-femmes Hébergement et restauration Médecins et dentistes

Prof. paramédicales (hors infirmières)

Commerce de détail hors magasin Enseignement, formation Autres services personnels

Activités juridiques et comptables

Services administratifs et de soutien

0 20 40 60 80

Gros-œuvre (maçonnerie, couverture, charpente) Menuiserie, peinture et autres revêtements Médecins et dentistes

Hébergement et restauration Commerce de détail en magasin Électricité, plomberie, chauffage Commerce de détail hors magasin Commerce de gros

Conseil de gestion Travail des métaux, réparation et autres industries Information et communication

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140

Hors auto-entrepreneurs Auto-entrepreneurs

en m illiers

Hors auto-entrepreneurs Auto-entrepreneurs

en m illiers

Sample: France, excluding agriculture.

Source: Insee, Self-employment database.

On average, self-employed workers are older than salaried workers. They begin their activity later, often after a period as salaried workers, and retire from business at a more advanced age. Self- employed workers aged 60 and older are thus more numerous than those under 30 years of age (11.4% in 2011 against 9.1% in all non-agricultural sectors, 9.5% against 6.1% of farm managers).

3100 euros net per month for "traditional" self-employed workers, 460 euros for auto- entrepreneurs

Excluding the agricultural sector, "traditional" self-employed workers earn an average of 3100 euros per month. The least well-paid sectors are out-of-store retail trade (870 euros per month), the arts and entertainment (1200 euros), hairdressing (1260 euros), taxis (1410 euros) and teaching (1460 euros). At the other end of the scale, the highest average incomes are found in the legal professions and among doctors, dentists and pharmacists (from 7840 euros per month for the latter, to more than 9000 euros for law professionals).
Auto-entrepreneurs earn an average of 460 euros per month. Their incomes, which are limited by the caps imposed on their turnovers, vary little from one sector to another. They are nonetheless higher than average in the construction industry and business services. One third of auto-entrepreneurs are engaged in a parallel salaried activity.
In the agricultural sector, the average earned income amounts to 1420 euros net per month.

Best paid sectors: and least well paid sectors:

Activités juridiques et comptables Médecins et dentistes Commerce pharmaceutique

Activites financières et d'assurance

Vétérinaires Infirmiers, sages-femmes Architecture-ingéniérie

Professions paramédicales, hors infirmiers

Ensemble des secteurs

Commerce de détail hors magasin Arts spectacles et activités récréatives Coiffure et soins de beauté

Autres services personnels Taxis, yc VTC Enseignement, formation

Textile, bois, ameublement, imprimerie Hebergement et restauration Agriculture

Commerce de détail en magasin

0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 revenu mensuel moyen, en euros

0 500 1000 1500 2000

revenu m ens uel m oyen, en euros

Sample: France, excluding auto-entrepreneurs and those benefitting from the agricultural contract system.

Source: Insee, Self-employment database.

Greater income disparities than among salaried workers

Earned income inequalities are more marked among self-employed workers than salaried workers, a fact that can be explained both by the weight of high incomes and the presence of very low incomes. Among "traditional" self-employed workers, the least paid half represents only 15% of incomes (against 25% for private-sector employees), whereas the 10% best paid workers represent 41% of incomes (against 33%), excluding agriculture and zero incomes. When auto-entrepreneurs are added to this, the world of self-employed workers appears to be extremely disparate in terms of the income derived from the activity performed.
The greatest inequalities are found in the arts, entertainment and recreational activities, a sector that is marked by many very low revenues. In business services and mixed services, income disparities are also large, irrespective of the sector, and particularly in IT, management consulting, real estate and financial activities, administrative and support services.
Women earn about a quarter less than men, although they work in sectors that are better paid on average. This gap can be partly explained by a lower number of hours worked over the year.

Section 2 - Non-agricultural incomes reduce the income gaps between farming households

(Nathalie Delame)

In 2010, overall annual income rose to an average of 38,200 euros for agricultural households working on average-to-large sized operations. This average income breaks down into 63% (23,900 euros) derived from agricultural activity, 22% (8500 euros) from non-agricultural activity, 3% (1300 euros) from pensions or annuities and 12% (4500 euros) from property income. However, the breakdown of total income depends to a large degree on the structure of the household and the activities of each of its members. One household out of two declared income from non-agricultural activities. These additional non-agricultural activities are more common in large crop or permanent crop farms than in livestock holdings, which have more constraints in terms of care for animals. 604,000 managers or co-managers of agricultural holdings

In 2010, Metropolitan France numbered approximately 490,000 agricultural operations, managed by
604,000 managers or co-managers. Small holdings represented more than one third of farm operations, but only 7% of agricultural land and 3% of production. More than one third of these managers engaged in a second activity (the same individual performing an agricultural activity and another activity), against 13% in average-to-large sized holdings.

Sharp differences in agricultural income depending on the type of production and the legal status of the operation

In 2010 there were 312,000 average-to-large holdings, concerning 381,000 households. These households had an average agricultural income of 23,900 euros per year, varying between 12,400 euros for holdings specialising in beef cattle and 39,300 euros for large non-cereal crop farms (beet, potatoes, field vegetables, etc.). Individual variations are even greater: more than 10% of households showed negative agricultural income while 10% had more than 52,900 euros. For a quarter of households, income is lower than 8000 euros and for another quarter it is greater than 33,000 euros, a multiple of four. In companies, households generate an average agricultural income of 28,700 euros, distinctly higher than the 18,100 euros earned by individual holdings.

Overall income less dispersed than agricultural income

In addition to agricultural income, 98% of households have supplementary incomes of varying forms and amounts: income from the spouse's activity if he/she has an activity outside the holding or if he/she is a salaried agricultural worker, property income or pensions. The makeup of the total income of the household naturally depends on the family structure and the nature of each person's activities. Additional incomes can be low, for example incomes from taxable savings schemes, or indeed negative for 5% of households declaring deficits linked to non-agricultural activities. Amounting to an average of 14,600 euros in 2010, these additional incomes are less than 1300 euros for one quarter of households and greater than 21,000 euros for another quarter.
In all, total incomes declared by agricultural households amounted on average to 38,200 euros in
2010, with 37% of them being non-agricultural. Total income appears to be less dispersed than agricultural income: for one quarter of households, the declared amount is less than 16,700 euros and for another quarter it is greater than 50,000 euros, corresponding to an interquartile factor of three (against four for agricultural income). Whereas for one third of households, agricultural income is lower than the net minimum wage (12,700 euros annual income in 2010), this share drops to 18% for total income. This income naturally depends on the composition of the household: the average total income is 23,500 euros for a single, widowed or divorced person, and 46,000 euros for a couple.

One in two farming households benefits from non-agricultural income

On average, 60% of additional income is derived from a salaried activity or a non-agricultural source,
31% from property income and 9% from pensions or annuities. More than one household in two has a salary or a non-agricultural income that often corresponds to the activity of the spouse outside the holding. For these households, the average amount earned in 2010 came to 15,700 euros for wages and 10,000 euros for non-agricultural profits.

Less non-agricultural activity in livestock operations

The duration and organisation of work varies with the type of agricultural activity, helping to explain the greater or lesser share of agricultural income in total income depending on the specialisation of the holding. In dairy farming (dairy cows or mixed cattle), nearly nine managers (or associates) out of ten work full-time on their operation. On average, these farms require almost two full-time workers. These activities demand significant labour very regularly throughout the year, and even throughout the day, for milking and tending the animals. The spouse may be a co-manager, often full-time. The spouse may also work without being a co-manager, in which case he/she nevertheless works full-time in more than one case out of three. For this type of production, agricultural income represents more than 70% of the total income of the household. However, it remains lower than the average agricultural income earned across all households.
At the other end of the scale, large crop and permanent crop holdings are more easily compatible with non-agricultural activities. Apart from intense periods when seasonal labour is required, particularly for harvesting, these activities allow for a part-time, regular or seasonal non-agricultural activity. The average frequency of full-time activity on the holding is 40 to 50% for the manager of the holding or associates, and less than 20% for spouses. Agricultural income nevertheless accounts for more than
50% of the total income of these households and, in the case of cereal or winegrowing operations, the figure is distinctly higher than that for all households.

Section 3 - Earned income of newly-established independent doctors: recent trends and contrasts with their elders

(Anne Pla, Fanny Mikol)

Doctors in self-employment may have several sources of earned income (non-commercial profits, paid income, etc.), and these different forms of remuneration may be combined in various ways. Young doctors, established for less than five years, differ from their elders both in terms of their socio-demographic profiles and in terms of the way they practice their profession. They are more likely to be surgeons or anaesthetists, and less likely to be general practitioners. Among young general practitioners (GPs), women are now in the majority. Young doctors are more likely than their older colleagues to hold a salaried position alongside their independent activities. Young specialists are much more likely to be registered as Sector 2 (uncapped fees), 59% compared to 41% for all doctors. The total income of young doctors has been increasing from generation to generation: over the period 2005 to 2011, measured in constant euros, this income increased by 2% for general practitioners and 11% for specialists. Annual earned income ranging from an average of 82,000 euros for general practitioners to 190,000 euros for radiologists

Among the 110,000 self-employed doctors registered in 2011, 57,000 (i.e. 52%) were general practitioners while 52,000 were specialists, with the most common specialities being surgery, psychiatry and radiology. Alongside their independent activities, 27% of GPs and 44% of specialists hold an additional salaried position. For the year 2011 the average earned income of doctors, the sum of both their income from independent activities and any wages they may earn, was 106,140. However, the average earned income of certain categories of specialists was more than double that of other categories. Anaesthetists and radiologists, with declared income of over 189,000 euros, thus earn twice as much as dermatologists, paediatricians and psychiatrists, specialities at the opposite end of the income scale at a level not far off that of general practitioners. Generally speaking, wages represented only a small proportion of doctors' earned income: below 5% for GPs, i.e. 3900 euros, and 11% for specialists (15,300 euros). Regardless of their specialisation, the earned income of female doctors was substantially lower than that of their male counterparts (by around a third). Finally, incomes were higher in Sector 2 for the majority of specialities.

Earned income for doctors in self-employment in 2011

Ensemble des médecins

Médecins installés depuis cinq ans ou moins

Part des Cumul avec Revenu médecins une activité d'activité

du secteur 2 salariée annuel moyen

(en %) (en %) (euros)

Part des Cumul avec Revenu médecins une activité d'activité annuel

du secteur 2 salariée moyen

(en %) (en %) (euros)

Omnipraticiens 10,6 27,2 82 020

1,7 27,1 69 940

Anesthésistes 35,7 15,8 189 660

Cardiologues 19,2 54,0 143 550

Chirurgiens 79,2 45,7 176 840

Dermatologues 41,9 35,0 86 230

Gastro-entérologues 38,9 54,9 125 770

Gynécologues 56,0 43,3 104 630

Ophtalmologues 55,6 36,6 159 810

Oto-rhino-laryngologistes 57,5 61,0 118 700

Pédiatres 33,7 52,7 86 160

Pneumologues 18,1 61,1 109 990

Psychiatres et neuropsychiatres 29,6 48,3 84 470

Radiologues 13,4 32,9 189 770

Rhumatologues 45,6 50,7 94 830

Autres médecins 33,3 50,8 119 150

Ensemble des spécialistes 41,0 44,1 133 460

70,5 24,7 205 970

28,5 62,6 141 410

85,8 53,7 158 010

61,1 49,2 82 680

53,3 62,4 115 540

84,5 51,5 125 460

81,5 47,6 191 910

85,8 66,9 116 090

49,3 61,7 90 430

26,0 63,2 104 080

55,6 55,3 87 020

25,0 50,1 185 810

76,8 67,5 89 780

43,2 62,2 107 900

59,4 53,0 141 970

Ensemble des médecins 25,1 35,1 106 140

dont hospitaliers à temps plein avec secteur privé 40,8 99,9 137 940

33,0 41,0 108 530

52,2 99,9 130 800

Champ : France métropolitaine, médecins conventionnés âgés de moins de 70 ans, installés avant 2011, ayant déclaré au moins un euro d'honoraires et pratiqué au moins un acte en 2011.

Sources : Insee-DGFiP-Cnamts, exploitation Drees.

Earned income is lower among younger general practitioners than it is among their older colleagues

In 2011 the average earned income of younger GPs was 15% below the average for all GPs, largely as a result of their lack of seniority (having not yet established a large number of patients), but also due to the higher proportion of women among their ranks, as female doctors treat fewer patients on average than male doctors. On the other hand, the income of young specialists is slightly higher than the average for all specialists (+6%). This comparison masks some major structural differences, however. Recently-qualified specialists are much more likely to be established in Sector 2 (uncapped fees), and often choose more lucrative, technical specialisations (anaesthesia, surgery etc.).

The earned income of young doctors has been increasing from generation to generation Two observations taken six years apart, in 2005 and then in 2011, show that the earned income of both categories of recently-established doctors evolved positively: at comparable levels of experience,

the increase was 2.4% in constant euros (i.e. after adjustment for inflation) for general practitioners,
7.5% for specialists in Sector 1 and 11.4% for specialists in Sector 2. This increase in earned income reflects both an increase in the income from independent activities and an increase in wages.
The profile of young doctors (their area of specialisation, their administrative Sector, their gender, etc.), which has an impact on their income levels, has evolved significantly over time, and continues to do so. The proportion of women among their ranks continues to increase (women are now in the majority among young doctors established in their activity in the period immediately preceding 2011); young specialists are increasingly opting for the uncapped fees of Sector 2, and the age at which doctors set themselves up independently (becoming self-employed) is being pushed back. Furthermore, doctors' earned income also continues to vary according to the quantity of care provided, the rates charged and the applicable professional costs.

The increase in the earned income of young doctors has been driven by the rise in the average charge for medical consultations

Given the changing profile of doctors (particularly the increasing proportion of Sector 2 specialists and the growing number of female GPs), the income of young doctors increased between 2005 and 2011: by 7% in constant euros for GPs and Sector 1 specialists, and by 9% for specialists practicing in Sector 2. This slight increase has been driven by the increase in the price of consultations and the introduction of new forms of fixed remuneration (better pay for permanent care, bonuses paid for meeting public healthcare targets etc.), whereas the actual volume of medical activity has remained stable, and doctors' income from wages has dropped slightly. With comparable characteristics - particularly in terms of specialisation and administrative sector - the proportion of doctors exceeding recommended fees fell slightly over this six-year period.

Section 4 - Self-employment in the cultural sectors

(Marie Gouyon)

The term "cultural sectors" covers a broad range of activities: creative activities, including the visual arts (fine art, photography, design, graphic design), performing arts, literature and architecture, but also teaching of the arts, the administration of art and culture (management of venues, museums, monuments, libraries, bookshops etc.) and communications (audio-visual and multimedia, press, advertising, translation).

At the end of 2011, 131,000 self-employed workers were engaged in cultural activities. 27% of all people engaged in these activities were self-employed, a rate almost three times higher than the average for the labour force as a whole. Self-employment in the cultural sectors is increasingly driven by the "auto-entrepreneur" status: almost four in ten self-employed workers in the cultural sectors are auto-entrepreneurs. "Traditional" self-employed cultural professionals (i.e. not including auto-entrepreneurs) had average net earnings of 2360 euros per month from their independent activities in 2011, compared with an average of 3100 euros across all sectors; women's average earnings were 40% lower than those of men. The average auto-entrepreneur made 430 euros per month. Self-employed professionals in the cultural sectors, particularly auto-entrepreneurs, frequently combine their independent activities with salaried positions. These salaried jobs are often entirely unrelated to culture, and provide them with the majority of their total earned income. In the cultural sectors, more than one in four workers are self-employed


In 2011, 27% of those whose principal professional activity lay in the cultural sectors were self-employed. Self- employment is particularly prevalent in certain sectors, particularly the visual arts and more specifically creative occupations related to the plastic arts. In other sectors, salaried employment is the norm (such as cultural asset
management) or the most widespread arrangement (e.g. audio-visual activities/ multimedia).
All in all, 131,000 people were registered as self-employed in the cultural sectors, 100,000 as their sole occupation and 31,000 in addition to a salaried position. They account for almost 6% of all self- employed workers (not including the agricultural sector). Three quarters of this number work in the visual arts, architecture and publishing.

Activities which have seen a strong take-up of the auto-entrepreneur status

In the cultural sectors, the creation of the "auto-entrepreneur" professional status has met with a resounding success. By the end of 2011, three years after the introduction of this status, it accounted for almost four in ten independent professionals in the cultural sectors, a rate twice as high as that observed for self-employed professionals across all sectors of the economy. At the same time, between the end of 2008 and the end of 2011, the number of self-employed professionals operating under the "traditional" system decreased. Auto-entrepreneurs are particularly prevalent in the visual arts and artistic education (six in ten self-employed people in these sectors were auto-entrepreneurs in
2011), as well as the performing arts (almost half).

From 1020 euros per month in artistic education to 3740 euros for architects

In 2011, for cultural activities, the average monthly income of "traditional" self-employed professionals (not including auto-entrepreneurs) stood at 2,360 euros per month, almost 25% less than the average across all sectors (3100 euros, excluding agriculture). Architecture is the most lucrative cultural sector, with an average monthly income of 3740 euros. Visual arts and artistic education are the least lucrative sectors (with average monthly incomes of 1310 and 1020 euros respectively). The substantial variation from one cultural sector to the next is matched by a similarly high level of disparity within the sectors themselves.

The average monthly income of auto-entrepreneurs was 430 euros

In 2011, auto-entrepreneurs in the cultural sectors declared an average income of 430 euros per month for their self-employed activities, slightly below the average for all auto-entrepreneurs (460 euros).
The highest average incomes were recorded in architecture (average 750 euros), with the lowest coming from the visual arts, the performing arts and audio-visual/multimedia (an average of less than
400 euros per month).

Among "traditional" self-employed professionals, women earn 40% less than men. The average gender pay gap across the economy as a whole is 24%

Excluding auto-entrepreneurs, self-employed women earn considerably less than men, a disparity which is even more pronounced in the cultural sectors (an average of 1630 euros per month, compared to 2730 euros for men, a difference of 40%) than it is across the economy as a whole (2540 euros and 3370 euros respectively, a gap of 24%). The pay gap between men and women is most pronounced in architecture and the visual arts. These disparities can be partly explained by the fact that women are, on average, newer to self-employment (an average of 9.6 years in activity, compared with 12.7 years among men).
However, women working in the cultural sectors under the auto-entrepreneur status had earnings comparable to those of their male counterparts in 2011.

Self-employed professionals often combine independent activities with salaried jobs

The low levels of income observed in the cultural sectors are partly offset by the fact that self- employed work is frequently combined, more so here than elsewhere, with salaried employment. This is particularly true among younger workers. 13% of "traditional" self-employed professionals in this field combine self-employment with salaried employment (three percent more than the average across all sectors), a state of affairs particularly common among those working in the fields of private art teaching (27%), the performing arts (21%), audio-visual and multimedia (18%) and the visual arts (16%). More often than not this salaried employment is entirely unrelated to culture.
As is the case across the economy as a whole, multiple employment is three times more common among auto-entrepreneurs than it is among "traditional" self-employed professionals. At the end of
2011, 42% of all auto-entrepreneurs active in the cultural sectors combined these independent activities with salaried employment (compared with an average of 33% across all sectors).

For those with multiple activities, salaried employment represents the primary source of earned income

In the cultural sectors, "traditional" self-employed professionals with multiple activities report an average income of 1300 euros per month from their independent activities (compared with 320 euros for auto-entrepreneurs), i.e. around half as much as their counterparts without second jobs.
In these sectors more than elsewhere, the salaried income of those with multiple activities represents their primary source of income. While the situation for auto-entrepreneurs in the cultural sectors does not differ substantially from that of their counterparts in other sectors (salaried income accounts for around 85% of the total earned income of those with more than one activity), the same cannot be said of "traditional" self-employed professionals. In the cultural sectors, this latter group derives 67% of their total earned income from their salaries, compared with an average of 53% across all sectors.

Section 5 - The wealth of the self-employed

(Pierre Lamarche, Maud Romani)

A self-employed household is defined here as a household in which at least one person in self-employment lives.

At the start of 2010, the gross wealth of self-employed households stood at 595,600 euros on average, against 197,400 euros for other households. While this differential is partly attributable to professional wealth, it is also significant when only private wealth is taken into consideration. At identical given characteristics, in particular income and age, the gross private wealth of the self-employed is 84% higher than that of other households. However, the composition of the gross private wealth of self-employed households is similar to that of other households. While the self-employed are more often owners of their main residence and have more property assets, this is mainly due to their higher level of overall wealth. Similarly, their financial wealth is higher on average but its overall structure is comparable to that of other households, although an examination in greater detail shows that they own a larger share of securities. Lastly, although inheritances or donations may be an important step in the set-up of business by the self-employed, the weight of such transfers in their wealth is comparable to that of other households. Three times more average gross wealth for self-employed households, partly derived from professional wealth

In 2010, the gross wealth (not counting debt) of self-employed households stood at 595,600 euros on average, against 197,400 euros for other households. This gap can partly be explained by the inclusion of professional wealth derived from their work. Among self-employed households, this professional wealth comes to an average of 178,800 euros, i.e. 30% of their total wealth.

A sharp variation in the amount and composition of professional wealth according to category of self-employed

The amount of professional wealth depends on the activity. This average amount can double between traders (129,000 euros) on the one hand and company directors with more than 10 employees and the Professions (272,100 euros) on the other. Furthermore, its composition is strongly bound to the nature of the activity. For example, for farmers, almost half of their professional wealth comprises land or livestock, 23% buildings, and 20% equipment and vehicles. For traders, 23% of wealth is derived from the value of their inventory, and 12% from their business goodwill.

Self-employed households account for half of the 1% of households with the greatest private wealth (excluding professional assets)

The gross private wealth of self-employed households (property, financial or other) is more than twice as high as that of other households: 416,900 euros against 188,300 euros. Self-employed households represent more than one-third of the 10% of households with the greatest private wealth, and more than one-half of the 1% of wealthiest households, although they only represent 15% of all households.
The amount of private wealth differs according to activity. Households of farmers have an average of
274,500 euros of gross private wealth and are at the bottom of the self-employed ladder. At the top, company directors and the Professions own an average of 797,800 euros of gross private wealth.
48% of company directors and the Professions belong to the one-tenth of households holding the greatest gross private wealth, against 24% of traders, 16% of craftspeople, 13% of farmers and just
8% of other households.

At identical age, income and other characteristics, the self-employed have 84% more private wealth than other households

The high level of total, but also private, wealth of the self-employed compared to that of the other household categories is partly the result of the accumulation of higher incomes. However, at identical given characteristics, particularly age and income, self-employed households own 84% more gross private wealth than other households. This specific feature is most marked among farmers: with equal characteristics, their private wealth is twice as high as that of other households (+ 127%). Next come craftspeople (+ 103%), company directors and the Professions (+ 72%), and then traders (+ 58%).

8 self-employed households out of 10 own their main residence

Self-employed households more commonly own their main residence than other households (77% against 54%). The percentage of homeowners is close to 90% among farmers and business owners. With equal characteristics (including age and income)being a farmer or a craftsperson automatically raises the probability of being the owner of the main residence compared with other households; however, the fact of being a trader, business owner or one of the Professions does not increase the probability of being a homeowner.

The composition of financial wealth is not very different from that of the rest of the population

The self-employed have greater financial wealth than other households, but generally do not allocate it very differently from them between current accounts, savings accounts, life insurance, etc. In particular, despite greater uncertainty about their income, the self-employed do not hold a larger share of their financial wealth in immediately usable form (cash, available savings). For example, their current account represents 6% of their financial wealth, against 8% for other households. However, the share of their financial wealth invested in equities is higher than that of other households.

Self-employed households are more likely to receive or make a donation

Several explanations can be put forward for the high level of private wealth of the self-employed: a higher propensity for saving, recourse to debt, or inheritance plans. Self-employed households are more often indebted than the others and, for the households concerned, their debt level is higher on average (126,900 euros against 49,100 euros), including for private reasons. However, debt differences appear to be more striking between categories of self-employed people than between the self-employed and other households.
Self-employed households have benefited from an inheritance or a donation more often than other households, or have themselves more often made a donation. However, when income, total wealth net of debt, age, qualification, size and type of household are all taken into account, this observation should be qualified: a self-employed household inherits less often but more often receives a donation. The self-employed also more often transfer their wealth early, via donations.
Transfer of wealth is an important moment in the career of the self-employed. The weight of transfers received in accumulated wealth is, however, no higher among the self-employed than among other households (less than one-quarter of the wealth held, for two-thirds of them).

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