Student living costs in France resulting in more 'forced employment'

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
16 Aug 2023 18:16

French student unions warn that the increasing living costs for students have been deterring potential students from applying to universities.

In this Nov.18, 2014 file photo, a man watches Paris buildings in Paris, France. (AFP)

In France, a 10% year-on-year rent, utility, and food cost increase marks a new high in student living costs, recent data by student unions showed.

Student union UNEF’s Secretary General Hania Hamidi said on Tuesday that the increase has been creating “major student precarity” across France and discouraging potential university students from applying.

To make ends meet, according to Hamidi, 4 out of 10 students skip at least one meal a day as day-to-day expenditures have increased the most.

The student union FAGE has announced that rent has risen by 9% to reach an average of €534, noting that other utilities such as telephone and internet costs have increased about 19%, while food rose by 15% and transportation by an extra 7%.

As for the next academic year, FAGE said the long-standing inflationary pressures are likely to be the cause for an extra expenditure increase of about 8.9% as the new university year will cost newly-enrolled students approximately €3,024.

FAGE spokesperson Félix Sosso, according to radio broadcaster RTL, called this a "historic" rise as it accounts for an extra €500 relative to 2022 and warned that these costs have been pushing students into "forced employment", highlighting that “beyond a 16-hour work week, students are twice as likely to fail their bachelor’s degree."

Prices of food and beverages soar

RT reported, citing recent data published by the French national statistics bureau INSEE, that prices for food and beverages in France soared by 13.1% in July compared to last year.

Notably, the prices of meat and beverages experienced sharp rises of 11.3% and 10.1%, respectively. Additionally, other food products witnessed increases of up to 15%, while consumers faced a 9.4% uptick in the costs of cleaning and personal care products.

While inflation remains a key concern, the annual inflation rate in France for the previous month stood at 4.3%. This represents a decline from the record 4.5% spike observed in June, aligning with preliminary estimates and marking the lowest rate since February 2022. Analysts attribute this easing of inflation to decreases in energy prices and more controlled hikes in the costs of food and manufactured goods.