At the start of the new school year in 2025, the Ifop-Fiducial survey for Sud Radio reveals that French morale is declining further. After an already significant drop in January, optimism continues its downward trend: only 31% of French people say they are confident for themselves and their children, compared with 69% who express pessimism. This drop is particularly pronounced among the older generations, as fewer than one in five French people aged 65 and over (19%) say they are optimistic, while almost one in two young people aged 18-24 (45%) still have faith in the future. Compared with January 2025, optimism has dropped by 5 points, confirming the persistence of a climate of mistrust regarding collective and individual prospects.
Against this backdrop, French people’s concerns show a stable but significant hierarchy. Health remains the number one concern (80%), ahead of the fight against crime (72%) and education (71%). Rising prices remain a major issue (68%), as do higher wages and purchasing power (62%), while the fight against terrorism continues to worry more than one French person in two (61%).
At the same time, reducing public debt is becoming an increasingly important issue. Long relegated to second place, it is now of concern to 58% of French people in August 2025, up 3 points on last January, but above all up 21 points since the summer of 2023. This dynamic reflects a growing awareness of the issue of public finances, against a backdrop of budgetary tensions and debates on the sustainability of public spending.
