Wealth of Immigrants: Evidence from France

This paper examines the differences in wealth ownership between immigrant and native households in France. Using data from the 2009-2010 wealth survey conducted by Insee, we find that the sociodemographic and economic characteristics of immigrant households explain a large part of the observed ownership gap. After controlling for characteristics, we find that immigrants are as likely as natives to own financial and real estate wealth, except for saving accounts. They have a lower rate of ownership. The specific factors of the immigrant population such as region of origin, legal status and the duration of residence have significant effects on wealth and contribute to explain the observed gaps.