The youngest remain the most generous: French donations to associations drop by 18 euros on average this year, from 222 to 204 euros

The economy is slowing down in France and is dragging down donations to associations. “After two years of consecutive increases, the average annual donation by French people falls by 18 euros this year, from 222 euros to 204 euros in 2026,” indicates the survey by the Odoxa Generosity Observatory for Leetchi and revealed by ICI. Among the most supported causes, we find medical research in first place, then child protection and animal protection.

More than a third of French people have reduced their donations, the vast majority due to the economic situation. The survey having been carried out in September, the rise in fuel prices was widely singled out, with 85% of French people seeing an impact on their budget, including almost one in two who mentioned a "significant impact". Under 35s more generous than others This drop in donations contrasts with a very high rate of recourse to aid.

Thus, "one in five French people, and 28% of those under 35, had to resort to solidarity this year, echoing the social demands strongly expressed since the start of the school year", specifies the survey. “A sign of the great difficulties of the French in terms of cost of living, these calls for solidarity concerned in the majority of cases the management of daily expenses,” details the survey. Paradoxically, it is those under 35 who are the most generous.

On average, their donations reach 256 euros per year for 18-24 year olds and 231 euros per year for 25-34 year olds, well beyond the 150 euros on average paid by 35-49 year olds. Donations from executives are down sharply (-148 euros) as are those from self-employed workers (-77 euros). They remain, despite everything, the two professions which give the most, ahead of workers, employees and intermediate professions.

The Grand Est and Île-de-France are the most generous regions, with respectively 316 euros and 247 euros in average donations. The latter particularly plummeted in Normandy (-127 euros) and remained low in Hauts-de-France (131 euros), Center-Val de Loire (141 euros) and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (154 euros). Nearly three-quarters of French people say that candidates' proposals regarding solidarity will count in their vote choice in 2027.

These expectations vary according to political proximity, according to the survey, with 87% among left-wing supporters (LO, NPA, LFI, PC, PS, Ecologists) who will take this solidarity into account, 65% for those from the center (Renaissance, MoDem, Horizons), 69% for Les Républicains supporters and 71% for those of the National Rally. The Odoxa survey was carried out online from September 23 to 28, 2026 on a sample of 3,000 people, representative of the French population aged 18 and over.

The representativeness of the sample is ensured by the quota method applied to the following variables: sex, age, level of diploma and profession of the interviewee after stratification by region and category of agglomeration.

Machine-translated from French