#REAL ESTATE
"You need a large income to get a mortgage." In April 2026, 32% of the households granted a home loan in France earned less than two minimum wages, and 57% less than three.
Published on September 14, 2026 · to be rechecked on June 30, 2027
On 4 June 2026 the Banque de France published its review of household home lending, drawn from a monthly collection covering the entire banking system and limited to loans actually signed by both parties. In April 2026, 32% of borrowers granted a home loan reported an income below two minimum wages, against 31% on average in 2025; adding households earning between two and three minimum wages brings the figure to 57%. First-time buyers accounted for 44.9% of new lending excluding renegotiations, after 44.2% in 2025.
Is mortgage credit reserved for high-income households?
No. In April 2026, 57% of borrowers earned less than three minimum wages, and almost one in three less than two.
In other words: most French mortgages are granted to households on modest or middle incomes.
Five caveats that belong with the number
- The breakdown is published as a share of the number of borrowers, not of the amounts lent: it says nothing about their weight in outstanding loans.
- The threshold applies to household income, not to a single salary: a couple both on the minimum wage falls into the two-to-three bracket.
- The collection only records loans signed by both parties: rejected or abandoned applications do not appear.
- Credit is getting dearer: the average rate on new home loans excluding renegotiations reached 3.22% in April 2026, up 14 basis points since January.
- The average initial maturity remains long, 22 years and 8 months, rising to 23 years and 10 months for first-time buyers.
Why it still matters: income alone is not what separates those who obtain a mortgage from those who do not.
For you
- Did you assume most mortgage borrowers earned more than three minimum wages?
- Does a breakdown by number of borrowers tell the same story as one by euros lent?
Source: Banque de France, Panorama des prêts à l'habitat des ménages – April 2026, published 4 June 2026.
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