KEY FINDINGS FROM THE SURVEY
1) 65% of French people believe that access to a nearby public pool is important or even a priority.
2) More than a quarter (27%) consider the public pool near their home to be in disrepair.
3) More than two-thirds of French people (70%) say they prioritize quality over proximity (30%).
4) 66% support public-private partnerships—known as “public service delegation”—in the management of municipal swimming pools.
5) 25% of parents believe that school did not enable their child to learn to swim, and 22% state that their child did not learn to swim in school.
6) For an overwhelming majority of French people (86%), learning to swim starting in sixth grade should be a national priority.
A) The French have a strong attachment to their local municipal swimming pools… although nearly one-third of them perceive these pools as dilapidated
Nearly two-thirds of French people (65%) consider access to a local municipal pool to be important or even a priority.
- “Users” of municipal swimming pools are their most ardent advocates: 94% of French people who visit them several times a week believe that access to a nearby pool should be important or even a priority.
- Looking at sociodemographic variables, we observe that a majority in all population groups consider access to a nearby municipal swimming pool to be important, including, for example, young people (63% of those under 35) and seniors (62% of those 65 and older).
Despite this strong attachment among the French to their municipal swimming pools, a significant core group (27%) believes that their pool is in a state of disrepair.
- Clear disparities emerge based on age: French people aged 35 to 49 seem far more critical of the dilapidated state of their swimming pool (37%) than seniors (8%).
- Regional differences are also worth noting: 35% of residents in the Paris metropolitan area consider their municipal swimming pool to be outdated, while only 20% share this view in rural communities.
However, quality is a decisive factor in choosing a municipal swimming pool: 70% of French people cite quality as the main reason (compared to 30% who cite proximity).
- We observe generational differences: although they represent a clear majority everywhere, seniors (81%) prioritize quality more than young adults aged 18 to 24 (72%) when choosing a municipal swimming pool.
- Conversely, it is worth noting that regular users of municipal swimming pools place a higher priority on proximity (51% versus 28% for non-users); these regular exercisers likely prioritize logistical convenience.
B) To address various concerns, a large proportion of the French population supports cooperation between local governments and businesses in the management of municipal swimming pools
Generally speaking, when it comes to the proper management of a municipal swimming pool, the French pay particular attention to water quality (62%), safety (48%), and pool cleanliness (42%).
- While these concerns are shared by the French population as a whole, weekly users place greater emphasis on accessibility issues: opening hours (23% cite this as their top concern, compared to 5% for the French population as a whole), and admission prices (21% vs. 11%).
To address these concerns, a majority (65%) say they support the principle of outsourcing public services for the management of their municipal swimming pools. This support reflects a desire for collaboration between the “trusted local partnership”: local governments and businesses.
- The main advantages cited for this cooperation are, first and foremost, cost reduction (23%), followed by the perceived improvement in the management of the municipal swimming pool (18%) and better maintenance (17%).
C) To address perceived shortcomings, the French are calling for strong government involvement in swimming instruction
Regarding schools’ ability to teach children to swim, half of parents (53%) believe schools have fulfilled their role, but shortcomings are perceived: 22% of parents report that their child did not learn to swim in school.
- This figure is higher among young parents (32%) and in rural communities (33%)
As a result of these perceived shortcomings, there is broad consensus among the French public that teaching children to swim should become a national priority starting in sixth grade: 86% of them support this, representing overwhelming support across all segments of the population.
