The internet has been abuzz with outrage and rants against French protests, with some accusing the French of being lazy. This argument often involves comparing apples to oranges, resulting in a distorted view of the situation.

A common claim is that the European average retirement age is over 65, while in the US, it’s over 67. Based on this, some people argue that the French are lazy and unwilling to work as much as the rest of the developed world.

However, it’s important to understand that retirement rules in France are different. The minimum age to retire with a full pension is 62, but this is only if the individual has worked for a full 42 years. This assumption implies that a person started working full-time at 20, which is not the case for most of the French population.

So, what do the numbers actually show? When it comes to the retirement age among OECD countries, France is relatively average.

Where France does stand out is in its Net Pension Replacement Rate, which represents the percentage of pre-retirement earnings that retirees receive. For both men and women in France, this rate is at 74%, which is notably above the average among other countries. But French also pay more in pension contributions during their working life than what is an average for OECD countries.

To sum up, it is essential to carefully examine the circumstances using precise information and a comprehensive understanding of the context before forming broad conclusions about an entire nation. Furthermore, when witnessing a large-scale protest against a government’s decision, it is reasonable to believe that the citizens who empower and give sovereignty to that government may indeed have valid concerns, and the government’s actions could be misguided.