French are 'becoming more tolerant', annual racism survey shows
Since 1990, French human rights group the
Commission nationale consultative des droits de l'homme
has run a detailed annual survey examining national attitudes towards issues of race, religion and ethnicity.
The results of the 2024 survey have just been published and show that "tolerance is on the rise again" as the report concludes, showing that people are less likely to hold racist opinions in 2024 than they were in 2023.
Despite a rise in anti-immigrant rhetoric in national politics, and the increasing electoral success of the far-right Rassemblement National, the survey shows that ordinary people in France are becoming more tolerant.
'The 2024 index is the third best score for tolerance since measurements began in 1990,' said the CNCDH.
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"Over 35 years, the trend has been one of growing acceptance of minorities, over and above cyclical fluctuations (terrorist attacks, economic insecurity, political rhetoric, etc."
Overall, the data shows a steady rise in tolerance since 1990. However the data also shows large annual fluctuations which appear to be linked to current events - for example one of the lowest years on record for tolerance is 2015, the year in which France was hit by repeated Islamist terror attacks.
More recently tolerance had peaked in 2022 before falling in 2023 and then rebounding somewhat in 2024 - a trend that researchers believe is linked to the Hamas attacks on October 7th 2023 and Israel's subsequent campaign against Gaza, in addition to urban riots in France in the summer of 2023 and political debate around the passing of the 2024 Immigration law.
In total 18.9 percent of survey respondents in 2024 identified themselves as 'somewhat' or 'a little' racist - a fall on previous years - although that figure rises to 56 percent among people who describe themselves as 'very right wing' politically.
The survey, conducted by polling organisation Ipsos, takes a representative sample of the French public and asks them to rate whether they would view themselves as racist, then asks their attitudes towards black, Asian, Arab, Roma, Muslim and Jewish people, as well as asking them to evaluate statements such as "there is a hierarchy of races".
They then calculate an overall tolerance index score, which can be measured against previous years.
The rise in tolerance within society can be explained in particular by "higher levels of education, generational renewal and the diversification of the French population", sociologists Yuma Ando, Nonna Mayer and Vincent Tiberj, who are associated with the report,
told France Info
.
Advertisement
The highest index is for the youngest adults, born since 1987 (with a historic score of 81 out of 100), ahead of those born between 1977 and 1986 (69 out of 100, a record for this generation).
However the researchers flagged up a concern that tolerance levels are stagnating or even going backwards among older generations, creating more of a generational divide.
The highest level of discrimination was recorded against Roma people, echoing long-standing prejudice against gypsies and travellers that is seen across Europe.
The report also noted that levels of racist, anti-Semitic or anti-religious crimes remain high - according to the Interior Ministry, recorded hate crimes rose by 11 percent in 2024. Similarly, online reports to the Pharos platform for public incitement to hatred, discrimination, xenophobic insults and defamation jumped by 55 percent.
CNCDH President Jean-Marie Burguburu said: "The increase in racist remarks, offences and crimes is worrying. While racist and anti-Semitic acts have never been so high, the political response seems non-existent."
Earlier this month the anti-terror prosecutors office launched its first investigation into a crime with apparent far-right links, after
a French man shot and killed his Tunisian neighbour
, after posting violent and racist content online.
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