The years go by and the findings persist with regard to the fifth annual barometer of the association fighting against precariousness Dons Solidaires-Ifop, published this Monday. Inflation continues to weigh on the families most in difficulty, forcing them to make trade-offs, particularly for give Christmas gifts to their children. According to this survey, 49% of French people fear not finishing the month, a third “fear of little or no ability to give Christmas presents”49% of French people surveyed believe that the budget devoted to Christmas gifts will be reduced this year.
“Despite a slowdown in inflationnote Solidarity Donations, the results reveal a contrasting reality. While the climate seems less anxiety-provoking for part of the population, single-parent families and low-income and precarious households remain particularly vulnerable, with the end of the year marked by concessions and a feeling of social exclusion.
Household morale improves
This barometer will note an improvement in household morale. In 2024, a little less than one in two households fears they will not be able to finish the month, i.e. a drop of eight points compared to 2023. Moreover, among the people questioned, the IFOP notes a decline in fears linked to falling into poverty (41%, -4 points) and the need to use food combinations (21%, -6 points). However, a third of French people still fear not being able to give gifts at Christmas. A figure down compared to 2023 (37%) “but which remains a well-established reality for some households”writes Dons Solidaires. 54% of respondents believe they cannot give their children the gifts they want.
In the survey carried out by the IFOP, we note above all an increasingly marked social divide. Single-parent families “cumulative chronic economic precarity and social isolation”. More than half of them (51%) say they face regular financial difficulties, almost double the national average (27%). “The end-of-year holidays highlight these disparities”writes Dons Solidaires. Regarding the most modest and poorest categories, 58% of parents in a precarious situation say they are reducing their budget for Christmas gifts, a figure significantly higher than the national average (+11 points).
The use of promotions and good deals is increasing
Promotions, good deals, clearance sales, hard discount, second-hand… so many solutions used by households to cut the Christmas bill. And more broadly, parents now use Christmas to purchase clothes and school materials that they could have purchased at another time of the year. “These figures show to what extent the Christmas holidays, despite their symbolism of sharing and joy, become a challenge for the most modest families, explains Dominique Besançon, general delegate of Dons Solidaires. The use of useful gifts and alternative purchasing channels highlights great resilience in the face of persistent precariousness.”
Christmas for All, the 15th Solidarity Donations campaign
The fifth barometer allows Dons Solidaires to highlight the usefulness of its donation campaign to help the most deprived. Dons Solidaires plans to distribute 1.5 million gifts to more than 400 associations across France to help their beneficiaries. In addition to this outpouring of solidarity, Dons Solidaires is launching a major donation campaign where each euro collected will allow the distribution of three additional gifts thanks to the general public.
