The French are “distraught” et “feel vulnerable in a France perceived as powerless” facing this “new era, that of polycrisis”, notes the 3rd edition of the Territories Barometer 2025, produced by Elabe, the Institut Montaigne and the SNCF and published by “ici” and franceinfo this Tuesday, January 14.
The first fear is “socio-economic insecurity and a fear of downgrading” : “54% of French people fear having to change their way of living due to a drop in their purchasing power (food, housing, leisure, vacations, etc.)”. The economic crisis now affects everyone. “The pressure of the end of the month has become a common experience in all categories of the population” : 57% of employees and workers fear having difficulty making ends meet, 50% of intermediate professions and 44% of executives. Faced with inflation, 76% of French people have reduced non-essential spending, with “greater sacrifices” for the most modest: 47% had to reduce their children's extra-curricular activities or tutoring, 30% had to ask their loved ones for financial assistance, 23% had to resort to food aid.
Second fear, “physical insecurity in a climate of increased tension between individuals”. “46% of French people (all social classes and political opinions combined, but more particularly women and young people) feel exposed to the risk of physical attack”, the report says. Half of women say they have already been the victim of harassment. This feeling of insecurity “crosses the entire political spectrum”since it concerns 43% of NFP voters, 41% of Together voters, 47% of LR voters, 54% of RN voters and 43% of abstainers. It is fueled by a climate of tension, incivility (two out of three French people say they have been victims) and a difficulty in “live together” : nearly six out of ten French people have the feeling of living “side by side”, even the “against each other” (for 36%), more than half (55%) fear not being rescued in the event of an attack.
Third insecurity, that linked to the climate “with its consequences on living conditions and economic activity”. When it comes to climate catastrophe, “the French have moved in a few years, from virtual to real, from distant to near, from images of dramas at the end of the world to scenes of desolation not far from home”explains the report. “One in two French people fear suffering increasingly harsh living conditions due to climate change (heatwaves, floods, etc.); 4 in 10 fear suffering damage linked to natural disasters to their homes and/or surrounding infrastructure from home (roads, power lines, etc.)”. The inhabitants of PACA and Occitanie are those who feel the most concerned.
Finally, the health risk is also present for “43% of French people” Who “fear of getting sick because of pollution”while mental health problems are a fear for 41% of them. Financial difficulty (41%) and access to caregivers (46%) mean that “54% of French people fear not being able to seek treatment in the event of a problem.”
If France retains the status of the most beautiful country in the world for 80% of French people, that attachment “remains massive” (80%), 61% of its citizens still believe that France “is in decline”, “has lost its economic power (52%)”which “its education system no longer works” (69%). A decline that elected politicians cannot resolve, according to those who elect them, because “less than half of French people believe that the President of the Republic has the means to change people's lives (45%); and the same at the local level for the mayor (48%).”
The French, however, remain attached to our social model: 92% wish to maintain our solidarity system to face the risk of dependency, 92% to health risks, 91% to the pension challenge, 88% to the risk of job loss. The French solidarity model is generally “voted by all political camps”.
To change things, “77% of French people have already implemented behavioral changes” in the face of climate change. “85% prefer to repair their equipment before throwing it away,” “75% eat less meat”. But many denounce the inequality of means to adapt to climate change: “77% of the poorest are hampered by a lack of financial means compared to 51% of the richest.”
Finally the French are also in “quest for tranquility”relaxing “both on a guarantee of stability and hope of 'living well' and on new balances”. The report notes “a rebalancing of the essentials”. “In 2008, 62% of employees said they preferred to earn more money at the expense of free time.” From now on, “the trend has reversed”observe the barometer, because “68% today prefer to earn less money to have more free time (regardless of income level).” Regarding stability, it still translates into the need to have a permanent contract for 85% of French people (rather than being on a fixed-term contract or on a mission), for 87% of French people to the reliability of a few very close friends on whom count. Finally, serenity means “calm life, taking your time”for 79% of respondents.
Methodology: The Territorial Barometer “Distraught France in search of tranquility” was carried out online from October 9 to November 5, on a sample of 10,031 people, divided into 12 regional samples of 800 individuals (1,200 in Ile-de-France). France), representative of the resident population of each metropolitan administrative region aged 18 and over.
