The feeling of being strangled by many French people in the face of inflation has never been stronger. Enough to force them to operate increasingly painful arbitrations, observes a survey* carried out by Ifop for MonPetitForfait and which shows that these sacrifices have never been so important.
As a result, more than one in two consumers (58%) has reduced their spending on food for economic reasons in the last twelve months, “double what Ifop was able to measure in 2007 (29%)”.
One in two French people skip meals
Worse yet, 51% of those surveyed go so far as to “skip meals” on a regular or occasional basis, an increase of 7 points since June 2022. And 41% have postponed certain health expenses in the last 12 months, “almost double that 15 years ago during the last inflationary crisis (25% in 2007)”, emphasizes Ifop.
In addition, 34% of the French admit “that sometimes they cannot pay the charges related to their accommodation on time, that is, a proportion that increased 5 points in eighteen months (29% in October 2021)”.
More anecdotally but just as symptomatic, two out of three French people (69%, +3 points since June 2022) sometimes give up going to the hairdresser due to lack of money. And 37% intend to take advantage of the simplified termination of subscription services effective June 1.
Financial insecurity rhymes with psychological distress
So many elements that cause anxiety at best, depression or even suicidal thoughts at worst. “Economic insecurity and psychological suffering seem to be linked if we judge by the proportion of French people with less than 100 euros on the 10th of the month among people affected by suicidal thoughts: 47%, that is, double that among those who never suffers (28%)”, advances the survey.
“The current rise in prices not only reduces the material living conditions of the poorest French people, but also weakens their mental health: anxious-depressive disorders are much more frequent in the fraction of the population with the most financial difficulties, regardless of the indicator used”. , comments François Kraus of Ifop.
This situation also generates deep discontent against the government, which nevertheless highlights the various shields and aid put in place to protect the most fragile homes. 73% of the French believe that the government is not doing enough to fight rising prices.
*: Study siop for MyLittlePackage conducted through a self-administered online questionnaire from May 5 to 9, 2023 with a sample of 1525 people, representative of the French population aged 18 and over.
Source: BFM TV
