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Cost of living in the 19th century: salaries, prices, rents, and daily conditions to enrich your genealogical research.
©Gallica - BnF
When delving into family history, one question often arises: how did our ancestors really live?
Understanding the cost of living in their era helps us better grasp their daily lives, choices, and hardships. This article offers an immersion into the domestic economy of the 19th century, through concrete figures: salaries, food prices, rents... As many benchmarks to bring your genealogical research to life and place your ancestors in their social context.
The investigations of the time, such as that of Dr. Villermé in 1840, paint a precise but grim picture of the working-class life. Let's take the example of a family consisting of a father, mother, and child, all three working:
Annual Income :
Main Expenses :
The majority of the budget is absorbed by food and housing. Nothing is set aside for health or education, and clothing is often limited to charity or recovery.
In the 19th century, agricultural wages varied greatly depending on the region, the season, and the qualification. For example, in 1852, an agricultural worker not provided with meals earned an average of 1.99 francs per day in Île-de-France, compared to only 0.84 francs in Brittany, a ratio of 2.4 between these two regions. In 1862, these wages rose to 2.69 francs in Île-de-France and 1.19 francs in Brittany. The Beauce, a large cereal-growing region, experienced a similar evolution: wages there doubled overall between 1850 and 1900, with a strong increase from 1852 to the 1880s, followed by stagnation before a new rise at the turn of the 20th century.
The season also plays a crucial role. During the harvest, the demand for labor drives up male agricultural wages to 2.80 francs/day in the 1840-1860s, while in the off-season, they fall back to 1.99 or 2.69 francs/day depending on the decade. Note: during the harvest, agricultural wages can even exceed industrial wages due to the strong temporary demand.
In industry, average wages were generally higher than in agriculture, but remained modest. Between 1839 and 1847, the average industrial wage reached 1.89 francs/day, then 2.45 francs/day between 1860 and 1865. In Île-de-France, an industrial worker earned an average of 3.07 francs/day in the 1840-1845s, then 3.33 francs/day in the 1860-1865s.
There were significant differences between sectors: machine construction and glasswork offered higher wages, while textiles, milling, or cotton processing were less remunerative, even though these sectors saw strong wage growth over the century.
In textile factories, for example, a spinner earned an average of 30 francs/month in 1851 (ranging from 20 to 40 francs), over 35 francs in 1871, and at least 50 francs in 1891. Remuneration gradually shifted from daily wages to piece rates, favoring the most productive and skilled workers.
Women earned significantly less than men. At the end of the 19th century, a female industrial worker earned an average of 2.46 francs/day, a seamstress or laundress 2 francs/day, and a housekeeper 1.50 francs/day. Domestics and cooks were paid annually, at 500 francs and 350 francs respectively in 1828, about 1.43 and 1 franc per day.
Several factors influenced wages: local price levels, productivity, literacy rates, and competition between agriculture and industry for labor. In industrialized regions, competition from factories sometimes pushed agricultural wages up.
To better visualize the daily life of your ancestors, here are some prices recorded in Paris and the Paris region at the end of the 19th century:
| Product | Year | Price (francs) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 kg of bread | 1895 | 0.35 |
| 1 liter of milk | 1890 | 0.10 |
| 1 kg of coal | 1890 | 0.05 |
| 1 pork chop | 1890 | 0.25 |
| 1 liter of wine | 1890 | 0.10 |
| Rent (small room) | 1840 | 60/year |
Thus, a Parisian worker had 2.60 to 4.34 francs per day to live, house, dress, and care for himself. A female worker often earned half as much.
Unlike other periods, the 19th century was marked by relative price stability. Between 1820 and 1906, the purchasing power of the franc remained virtually constant, thanks to prudent monetary policy and the gold standard. Means of payment also evolved, with the gradual generalization of banknotes and gold and silver coins, facilitating exchanges and daily life.
Understanding the cost of living of your ancestors enriches your genealogy with an essential human and social dimension. Figures, salaries, bread or rent prices place your ancestors in their daily reality, far from just dates and names. To go further in reconstructing their history, explore the resources and tools offered by Geneafinder, and bring your genealogical tree to life.
Want to discover the history of your ancestors in a new light? Join the Geneafinder community and meet their daily lives!
The numbers of the 19th century are not just abstract data: they trace the daily struggle, constraints, and choices of your ancestors. By reconstructing their budget, you give body to their history: the sweat, the sacrifices, but also the dignity.
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