IFOP conducted a survey for the Jean-Jaurès Foundation, asking French people about changes in their car usage following the rise in fuel prices.
1- France remains overwhelmingly dependent on cars…
While Emmanuel Grégoire’s bike ride through the streets of Paris on the evening of his victory will undoubtedly remain one of the most memorable images from the recent municipal elections, the car remains, by far, the primary mode of transportation in our country.
In fact, no fewer than 71% of our fellow citizens say they depend on cars in their daily lives. Nearly one-third (32%) even say they are very dependent on them. This dependence is, of course and unsurprisingly, highest among rural residents (89%), but more than two-thirds (70%) of people living in provincial urban areas also experience it on a daily basis. Given the central role of the car in our lifestyles and the fact that 7 out of 10 of our fellow citizens depend on it in their daily lives, fuel prices are an extremely sensitive issue.
2- … and which has seen fuel prices skyrocket
In France, the average price of diesel (the most widely consumed fuel in the country) rose from 1.7 euros on the eve of the first bombings in the Middle East to nearly 2.4 euros at the peak of the crisis in early April. While this average price has fallen somewhat since that peak, it has been fluctuating for several months between 1.9 and 2 euros—a very significant increase of nearly 20% compared to its level at the start of the year (1.6 euros). This sustained rise in fuel prices is putting pressure on motorists’ purchasing power—a burden that is often difficult to bear. As a result, 46% of car owners report that they have already found themselves buying less than 30 euros’ worth of fuel because they could not afford to fill up their tanks more fully. And for 15% of drivers, this self-imposed rationing has even become a frequent practice.
3-Due to numerous sacrifices in mobility, nearly 6 out of 10 French people feel their lives have become more restricted.
Over the past few months, 47% of drivers have thus foregone visiting a loved one (family, friends) at least once (and 22% several times, or even often) due to rising fuel prices. An identical proportion, 54% (including 28% who did so several times or often), have foregone a leisure outing (restaurant, movie theater, café, show, etc.) at least once for the same reasons. As we noted in a previous report, the sharp rise in post-COVID inflation was already taking a toll on a significant portion of the population, who—caught between declining purchasing power and having to make do with limited resources—felt they were living a second-rate life. In this context, all of the aforementioned reductions in mobility—triggered by rising fuel prices—lead 58% of car owners to feel that their lives have shrunk.
This narrowing of life and this reduction in everyday mobility are, quite logically, felt more acutely by those who describe themselves as dependent on a car for daily life (63% feel their lives have shrunk, compared to only 39% of those who are not very dependent or not at all dependent on a car).
Everyday travel isn’t the only thing that has been impacted by rising fuel prices. Summer vacations—an important time in our society, where leisure and free time play a central role—are also affected. Due to high gas prices, 13% have decided not to take their “big summer road trip” this year, while 19% will travel farther or for a shorter period of time. In total, nearly one-third of French people (32%) have made more or less substantial changes to their summer vacation plans.
4- For two-thirds of those surveyed, commuting to work is becoming too expensive
The rise in fuel costs is not only affecting vacation travel and daily commutes; for a portion of the population, it is also impacting access to work and professional mobility. Thus, 23% of the working population report that they have already had to turn down a professional opportunity (job, training, transfer, etc.) due to the cost of travel. This is true for 32% of those under 35 and 31% of low-income individuals, but even more so for 41% of the unemployed. More broadly, it is the opportunity cost of work itself that is being strongly called into question by rising fuel prices. 67% of French people agree with the statement that “today, it’s becoming too expensive to go to work.” 76% of people who say they are very dependent on a car in their daily lives (and who can be assumed to make significant daily commutes to work) share this view that it is becoming too expensive to go to work, compared to “only 53%” of those who say they are not very dependent or not at all dependent on a car—and who likely use public transportation, bicycles, or walking to get to work.
Read the full summary of the results by Jérôme Fourquet and Rémi Branco at: https://www.jean-jaures.org/publication/quand-la-hausse-des-prix-a-la-pompe-retrecit-les-vies/
