With the 2026 municipal elections less than a year away, Familles Rurales has asked Ifop to carry out a new wave of its barometer “Territoires ruraux: perceptions et réalités de vie”. For the fourth time, this survey of the general public and residents of rural communities takes the pulse of the rural world’s image, living conditions and expectations of public action.
The main findings of the survey:
- While the rural world continues to enjoy a positive image, the feeling of decline and abandonment has risen sharply, surpassing the 2018 level
Rural people retain a positive image of the rural world and appear just as satisfied with living there (94% consider it “pleasant to live in”; stable since 2018). Nevertheless, while they don’t question their attachment to their way of life in a rural commune, they are more concerned than ever about its attractiveness. Several positive image traits are dropping back to 2018 levels: “experiencing renewal” (-11 pts vs. 2023), “attractive” (-8 pts), “dynamic” (-3 pts) and “modern” (-6 pts). Even more worryingly, negative image traits are rising to levels never before seen in this barometer: “abandonment” (+8 pts vs. 2018) and “decline” (+5 pts vs. 2018).
Among the general public, the rural world also enjoys a good image, but the upturn brought about in recent years by the “confinement effect” is fading. The decline in several positive traits and the rise in negative perceptions (65% “abandoned”, +8 pts vs 2023; 58% “in decline, +11 pts vs 2023) mark a return to a more pessimistic judgment, even if the image remains better than in 2018.
Another notable new feature of the 2025 edition of the barometer: “safety” in rural areas is more highly valued. It is the 5th main reason for moving to a rural community (+6 pts among rural dwellers; +5 pts among the general public).
- In rural areas, the lack of access to public services – particularly health services – is significantly accentuated, contributing to this feeling of abandonment
The attractiveness of rural areas is undermined by two main, well-identified obstacles: the lack of public infrastructure and the growing difficulty of access to healthcare services. The situation has even worsened in these areas since 2018.
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- For both the general public and rural dwellers, the lack of public infrastructure remains not only the number one weak point in the rural world (cited in particular by 71% of rural dwellers, i.e. +6 pts vs 2018). It has also become more acute over the years (63% believe that the situation in terms of accessibility to public services has deteriorated; +5 pts vs 2018 and +36 pts vs 2003!). Half of rural dwellers (50%) also feel they benefit little or not at all from government action, compared to a quarter (26%) of the general public. This gap illustrates the feeling of disengagement on the part of the State.
- Access to healthcare services is identified by rural dwellers as having deteriorated the most in recent years (72%; +15 pts vs 2018 and +36 pts vs 2003!).
In this context, action priorities focus on strengthening public services, with the fight against medical desertification at the top of the list (66% of rural residents; 59% of the general public).
- Among rural dwellers, community involvement is primarily at the local level, in contrast to the general public, who are more focused on larger-scale causes
Rural dwellers are just as involved in associations as the general public (43% vs. 44%), but they differ in the nature of their involvement.
Firstly, rural people’s involvement is more focused on local issues (and less on national or international issues): 52% of rural people involved in associations give priority to revitalizing their region (+10 pts vs. the general public), far ahead of supporting a national or international cause (17%; -8 pts vs. the general public). The preferred associations are first and foremost local events (36%), followed by environmental protection and aid for dependent people (23% each).
Overall, communal support for community life is praised by the majority of respondents (71% of rural dwellers and 81% of the general public), but disparities persist between the smallest and largest rural communes.
- 2026 municipal elections in rural communities: mobilization driven by local priorities
With less than a year to go before the 2026 municipal elections, the vast majority of rural residents are satisfied with their commune (88%). However, more than half of them (56%) see no change since the last elections in 2020.
The qualities expected of the next mayor largely converge (competence, ability to manage, honesty), but rural residents place greater value on proximity (37%; +6 pts), defending the commune’s interests externally (31%; +11 pts) and dynamism (26%; +8 pts).
If the election were to take place next Sunday, 67% of registered rural voters say they are certain to vote (+11 pts vs. general public), confirming the centrality of the municipal level. For both the general public and rural residents, the base of issues that determine the municipal vote remains similar: health, safety, management/finance, cleanliness, but the internal hierarchies differ (the general public values safety more than rural residents).
- Rural mobility faces a triple challenge: structural constraints, dissatisfaction with infrastructure and budgetary pressure
The private car remains central to rural life: 34% of rural people say that no measure would encourage them to do without it (+11 pts vs. 2023; 22% in the general public). The main arguments in favor of alternative transport for the least reluctant: a better-adapted public transport offer (40% for rural dwellers; 36% for the general public) – financial or regulatory constraints being deemed less effective.
Only 37% of rural dwellers are satisfied with local mobility solutions, versus 62% of the general public. There is a marked difference in satisfaction levels across all facilities.
Nearly two-thirds of rural dwellers (63%) spend more than €70 per month on travel, versus 47% of the general public, and 38% consider this to have a strong impact on their purchasing power (+8 pts vs. the general public). This reflects both a greater dependence on the car – expensive to buy and maintain – and longer daily distances than those covered in urban areas.
