Wealth and income disparities in France are higher than in most OECD countries. The Socialists narrowed the gap a little with the introduction of the legal minimum wage ("le SMIC"). Most tax is indirect û a result of a long French tradition of income-tax evasion û which hits the poor and rich equally.
France has a fairly rigid class structure, although social mobility is increasing. The wealthy favor expensive French, German and British cars, and take exotic holidays to the Himalayas, the Andes and Polynesia.
