Trends in France for achieving the Agenda 2030 sustainable development goals (SDG)

In 2024, 134,807 cases of over-indebtedness were submitted to commissions in mainland France, representing a 10.8% increase versus 2023. The increase was slower for the second half of 2024 (+9% versus +12.6% in the first half of the year). This recent rise was due mainly to the delayed impact of inflation on the budgets of the most financially vulnerable households. The number of cases submitted in 2024, however, remained significantly lower than the pre-pandemic level (-6% versus 2019) and well below the level observed ten years earlier (-42% versus 2014). This long-term downward trend is mainly attributable to stricter regulation of consumer credit marketing conditions, a decline in unemployment over the period, and a more efficient case-processing procedure. In 2024, 245 over-indebtedness cases were submitted in France per 100,000 residents of at least 15 years of age.

At the beginning of 2024, 13.0% of people living in basic housing in France, representing 8.6 million residents, were experiencing material and social deprivation. In mainland France, the rate was 12.7%. The proportion of people in material and social deprivation was slightly lower than at the beginning of 2023. Those most at risk of deprivation were unemployed people, single-parent families and social housing tenants.

The housing expenditure to income ratio decreased as household income rose. The 25% of households with the lowest standard of living faced a substantially higher median housing expenditure to income ratio (31%), regardless of their housing tenure. It was 44% for owner-occupiers with a mortgage, 42% for private-sector tenants and 30% for social housing tenants. In 2013, taking into account rent or mortgage repayments and all housing-related charges, the average net housing expenditure to income ratio of households was 15.7%. If we add property tax and/or residence tax, the average net housing expenditure to income ratio rises to 18.3%.

The Écoantibio plan has produced very positive results, with overall animal exposure to antibiotics reduced by half since 2011 (-49%). This progress continued in 2024. The 3rd Ecoantibio plan aims to maintain current levels of livestock exposure and reduce the exposure of pets by 15%.

In mainland France, 10% of the population chose to forgo protein consumption for financial reasons in 2024, representing an increase from 9.4% in 2022 and 6.3% in 2021.
This trend reflects persistent food insecurity, exacerbated by inflation and declining purchasing power, despite the fact that food was not always the first budget to be restricted by households.

Changes in the status of breeds are relatively rare and the indicators are stable, in particular in the classification used here with only two statuses (at risk or not at risk, without quantification of risk level such as high or low, for example). The significant change observed in 2024 was primarily due to an increase in the number of animal breeds whose conservation status is recorded in the FAO DAD-IS database used to compile this indicator. Consequently, the number of breeds with an unknown extinction-risk status decreased from 159 to 109, resulting in the identification of 39 additional breeds at risk of extinction.

The average Simpson’s index for arable farms in France was 2.87 in 2024, a slight increase versus 2023. The agricultural ecosystems in mainland France were divided up as follows: 63% arable land, 33% grassland and 4% perennial crops (vines and orchards).

In 2024, 5,850 people were newly diagnosed with HIV. This number appears to have stabilised following the increase observed between 2020 and 2023. More than half (56%) of those newly diagnosed with HIV in 2024 were born outside France. Of these individuals, 43% acquired HIV after arriving in France. As for new HIV diagnoses overall, the trend among people born outside France showed a decline in 2020, followed by a renewed increase through to 2023. The epidemic remained particularly severe in French Guiana and, to a lesser extent, in Mayotte, the French West Indies and the Île-de-France region. In 2024, 43% of HIV infections were diagnosed at a late stage, including 27% at an advanced stage. Although this proportion has declined since 2020, it continues to reflect missed opportunities for HIV testing and timely initiation of treatment.

The number of deaths by suicide remained stable in 2023, with 8,848 deaths recorded and a standardised death rate of 13 deaths per 100,000 population, representing a 4% decrease versus 2022. Suicide death rates were highest among men aged 65 years and over and those aged 45-64 years, at 37 and 29 deaths per 100,000 men, respectively. Hanging was the most frequently recorded method of suicide on death certificates, accounting for 51% of cases, regardless of sex. Between June and December 2024, the national suicide prevention helpline, 3114, received 215,093 calls. In 2024, 41,777 people were enrolled in the follow-up and monitoring programme.

For mainland France in 2021, 94.9% of adults declared that they had consumed alcohol in their lifetime, a relatively stable figure since the early 1990s, when the first public health barometers were introduced in France. The share of adults in the 18-75 age range who declared that they had consumed alcohol at least once in the previous 12 months took a slight downturn between 2017 (86.5 %) and 2021 (85.0 %). Weekly and daily alcohol consumption have been declining for several decades. The proportion of weekly drinkers fell from 62.6% in 2000 to 39.0% in 2021. Similarly, the proportion of adults who reported drinking alcohol every day decreased from 23.9% in 1992 to 8.0% in 2021.

In 2024, 3,193 people were killed on the roads in mainland France, versus 3,167 in 2023 (+23 deaths, or +0.7%). In 2024, 2,477 men and 713 women lost their lives in road accidents. Men accounted for 78% of road fatalities, 75% of seriously injured casualties and 84% of those presumed to be responsible for fatal crashes—proportions similar to those observed in 2023. Men accounted for 7 in 10 fatalities among passenger vehicle occupants (and more than half of passenger fatalities), 9 in 10 fatalities among motorcyclists, cyclists, personal mobility device users and occupants of heavy goods vehicles, and 6 in 10 pedestrian fatalities. This excess male mortality is not observed among children aged 0–13 years. It becomes apparent from the 14–17-year age group onwards, in which 9 out of 10 road fatalities are boys, remains pronounced among those aged 18–44 years, where more than 8 out of 10 fatalities are men, and declines among older adults, with men accounting for just over 6 out of 10 fatalities among people aged 75 years and over.

Daily smoking among people aged 18–75 years in mainland France stood at 18.2%, versus 23.1% in 2023. According to Santé Publique France (French National Public Health Agency), these results reflect the return of a downward trend in tobacco use, which began in 2016 following the introduction of national tobacco control plans and was interrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Smoking prevalence among men (19.7%) remains significantly higher than among women (15.3%). According to Santé Publique France, 55% of French smokers want to quit smoking. This desire to quit smoking is more common among people aged 40–49 years, those with higher educational qualifications, managers and professionals in intellectual occupations, as well as people in intermediate occupations.

In 2025, 34% of the population aged 16-74 either did not use the internet or lacked basic skills in at least one of the five key areas covered by the European Digital Skills Indicator. Many people experienced significant difficulties using software (such as word processors and spreadsheets) or protecting their privacy and personal data (for example, refusing cookies or blocking geolocation features). In 2025, among people aged 16-74: 7% were digitally excluded, including 5% who did not use the internet and 2% who used it but had no digital skills. 27% had limited digital skills. They lacked basic knowledge in one to three of the five areas considered essential by the European Digital Skills Indicator: information and data literacy, communication, software use, privacy and personal data protection, and problem solving. 35% had advanced general digital skills (versus 32% in 2021), while 31% had basic digital skills (unchanged from 2021).

In 2025, in France (excluding Mayotte), 7% of young adults aged 18 to 24 were early leavers from education and training, and had therefore obtained no upper secondary education qualification, and were no longer in education or training. France has therefore already achieved the European target of reducing the share of early leavers to below 9% by 2030. Over the past decade, the rate of early school leaving has declined in most European Union countries, falling from 11% in 2015 to 9% in 2025. In France, it decreased from 9% to 7% over the same period. The decline in early leaving affected both women and men: in France, the rate fell by 1 point among men and by 3 points among women. On average across the European Union, the decline was 2 points for both sexes. However, gender disparities remain: in 2025, the early leaving rate was 9% among young men, versus 5% among young women (an average of 11% and 8% respectively across the European Union).

On a national level, 15,485 French schools, high schools and colleges currently have E3D certification (schools implementing the Education for Sustainable Development approach) according to the last annual report issued in November 2025 (1). This accreditation is supported by the French Ministry of Education to promote a whole-school approach to sustainable development. It aims to create coherence between teaching, educational projects and initiatives, school life and the management and maintenance of school facilities and their environmental impacts, while engaging students and encouraging their participation. It also promotes openness to the wider community through partnerships with local stakeholders. The number of E3D-certified institutions continues to grow, with progress monitored by regional education authorities. The Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Space (MESRE) has asked the institutions under its supervision (universities, higher education schools and national research organisations) to develop a Sustainable Development and Social Responsibility (DD&RS) master plan, including both an overall strategy and an operational roadmap. 80% of MESRE-supervised institutions have submitted this master plan and are therefore engaged in a comprehensive DD&RS approach.

According to the 2022 Adult Education Survey (FLV/AES), in mainland France, 51% of people aged 18 to 64 having completed their initial education had followed at least one training course (all types) in the preceding 12 months. Very few of them (1%) undertook formal education or training leading to a recognised qualification or diploma. These individuals were mainly young adults returning to education after an interruption of more than one year. The annual participation rate for non-formal training was considerably higher: 51% across all purposes and 40% for non-formal training with a professional goal. Since the 2025-2026 academic year, all higher education and research institutions have been required to introduce training on the ecological transition for undergraduate students. In 2026, around 30% of universities had implemented such training and approximately two-thirds are expected to have done so by 2027.

In 2024, the average pay for women was 21.8% lower than for men in the private sector. This gap can be partly explained by the lower annual volume of work for women, who spend less time at work over the year and are more likely to be employed part-time. For an identical working week, a woman is paid 14% less on average than a man. Since 1995, gender inequalities in annual wage income have narrowed by one third, mainly due to reductions in differences in the volume of work and in full-time equivalent (FTE) wages. In 2024, the gender gap in annual wage income narrowed by 0.4 points, a more moderate reduction than between 2019 and 2023 (an average of 0.9 points per year), but in line with the average pace observed over the past three decades. Pay differences are also explained by the gender distribution of occupations: women and men do not hold the same jobs or work in the same sectors, and women have less access to the highest-paid positions. In 2024, women accounted for 42% of private-sector salaried positions measured in full-time equivalents, but only 24% of the top 1% of highest-paid positions. For the same job within the same establishment, the gap in net full-time equivalent pay fell to 3.6%. Between 2013 and 2023, the average net pay gap between women and men in the public sector (calculated excluding apprentices and interns) narrowed by 3.7 points to 9.9% in 2023.

The proportion of women enrolling in science courses at university has gradually increased, reaching 51.2% in 2024, versus 49.2% in 2022. Although this indicator is improving, some scientific fields at university remain strongly female-dominated (such as biology, medicine and veterinary studies), while others continue to have a low proportion of women (such as engineering and physics). A gender balance action plan aims to achieve a minimum 30% representation of each gender across all specialised subjects, all technological pathways and all post-secondary education programmes within the next five years.

In 2024, 450,100 cases of physical abuse, including 103,700 victims under the age of 18 (23 %), were reported as crimes or offences, representing a 1.3 % increase versus 2023. In more than half of cases (54.3%), this violence occurred within the family context. Security services also recorded 122,600 victims of sexual violence (crimes or offences), including 71,100 minors (58%), representing a 7.4% increase versus 2023. In nearly one third of cases (28%), sexual violence was committed within the family.
Victims of physical violence within the family are most often women (76%). Victims of sexual violence are also overwhelmingly women (85%), whether the violence is committed within the family (87%) or outside it (85%), and whether the victims are adults (90%) or minors (82%).

Nearly three quarters (72%) of cases of sexual violence recorded in 2024 were committed outside the family context, representing an increase of 7.2% versus 2023. More than half of these victims were minors at the time of the offence (58%).

According to the latest reports from the data observatory on public provision of water supply and sanitation services, the yield of drinking water networks demonstrated a steady increase between 2018 and 2023. The average efficiency of drinking water distribution networks was estimated at nearly 80%. Water losses therefore represented around 20%; for every 5 litres of water supplied to the distribution network, 1 litre returns to the natural environment without reaching consumers.

Data has not yet been updated for 2025 (1). In 2023: 96.2% of local public water utilities with a legal obligation to establish an Advisory Committee (CCSPL) had one in place. (https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/serie/010595909).

France’s final energy intensity stood at 0.59 TWh per billion euros of GDP in 2024, representing a 0.7% decrease versus 2023. This improvement in energy efficiency was accompanied by a slight increase in final energy consumption for energy use, which stabilised at 1,499 TWh (or 1,550 TWh when climate-adjusted).

In 2024, 35% of French households experienced cold conditions in their homes during the winter, while 30% experienced excessive heat during the summer, according to the National Observatory for Energy Poverty (ONPE). The impacts of this situation are reflected in financial trade-offs and public health risks: 11.5% of households reported that they were unable to heat their homes sufficiently for financial reasons, versus 5% in 2018. Among households that experienced cold conditions, 37% had to reduce their heating use and 22% delayed paying their energy bills.

According to the Citepa SECTEN 2026 report (2), over the period 1990-2024, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions excluding land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) in France decreased by almost one third (32.9%), according to Citepa data. The draft Third National Low-Carbon Strategy (SNBC 3), submitted for public consultation in December 2025, sets out a target for France to halve its territorial emissions (excluding LULUCF) by 2030 compared with 1990 levels. To meet this target, GHG emissions will need to decline by around 5% per year until 2030, requiring a significant acceleration compared with the pace of reduction achieved in recent years. National GHG emissions decreased by 2.1% in 2025, 3.0% in 2024 and 6.8% in 2023 (SECTEN 2026 report). In 2023, the reduction in GHG emissions was particularly significant, notably due to the return to operation of several nuclear power plants, which increased low-carbon electricity generation.

In 2025, the Inter-Ministerial Mission for Research and Higher Education (MIRES) mobilised €16.7 billion in budget appropriations for research, a 2.4% decrease versus 2024. Within a single budgetary framework, MIRES consolidates the majority of State funding for the knowledge economy, including its production, dissemination and transmission. Additional, non-MIRES budget appropriations amounted to €1.9 billion.

According to the Banque de France, demand for credit among very small enterprises (VSEs) has been declining for more than ten years, both for investment loans and cash-flow loans. 2020, the year of the Covid-19 pandemic, was an exceptional year, with a temporary rebound in demand for cash-flow credit from VSEs (a rebound that was not sustained thereafter) and an even sharper decline in demand for investment credit (which fell below 10% and remained there well beyond that year). The loan approval rate increased, however, in line with the easing of interest rates on corporate lending observed in 2025 (2): 95.5% of VSEs that applied for an investment loan obtained it in full or for at least 75% of the amount requested, versus 81.3% for cash-flow loans.

According to the 19th edition of The State of Higher Education, Research and Innovation in France, gross domestic expenditure on research and experimental development (GERD) amounted to €61.5 billion in 2023. Compared with 2022, GERD decreased in volume by 0.5%, reflecting a decline in both business expenditure (-0.5%) and government expenditure (-0.4%). In 2024, GERD was expected to increase by 1.3% in volume terms, driven by growth in R&D expenditure in both the private and public sectors (+1.3% and +1.4% respectively).

According to the 19th edition of The State of Higher Education, Research and Innovation in France, 678,500 people were involved in research and development (R&D) activities in 2023, corresponding to 513,200 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions. Of these FTE positions, 69% were researchers and 31% were research support staff. Six out of ten researchers worked in the business sector, four in the public sector. Within the EU-27, France ranked second in terms of the number of full-time equivalent researchers, with 356,400 researcher FTEs, behind Germany (500,200 FTEs). Researchers accounted for 69% of research personnel, on a full-time-equivalent basis.

In 2025, more than 89% (90.8%) of homes and business premises in France were eligible for fibre-optic broadband, with nationwide access to very high-speed broadband targeted by the end of the year. In terms of coverage, fibre deployment reached 88.71% of the country by the end of 2024, making it possible to connect approximately 40.6 million premises out of the 44.6 million identified. The French Very High-Speed Broadband Plan aimed to achieve full fibre-optic coverage by 2025. Some regions, however, such as Brittany, will complete their roll-out in 2026. This expansion is accompanied by Orange’s gradual decommissioning of the copper-based network, which will continue until 2030.

In 2025, 89.6 % of people aged 15 and over and living in France had used the Internet in the preceding three months, versus 65% in 2009. Internet use continued to grow among people aged 75 and over: more than half of this group (51%) were Internet users, versus 21% in 2015. The vast majority of people aged 60 to 74 (87%) had also used the Internet within the preceding three months, as had almost all those under the age of 60. In 2025, around two-thirds of people aged 15 and over had made an online purchase within the preceding three months. Online shopping was more widespread among people aged 15 to 44 (79%) than among those aged 60 and over (39%).

In 2020, around 5 million people in France (representing 8.1% of the population excluding Mayotte) lived in overcrowded housing. The rate of overcrowding varied considerably depending on housing type and location. This concerned 8% of households (excluding students). 16.5% of people living in apartments were affected, compared with only 3.2% of those living in houses. Overcrowding stood at 13.7% in the Paris urban area, 5.3% in urban areas with populations exceeding 100,000 and only 2.3% in those with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants. It was particularly high among single-parent families (25% among those with children under the age of 3) and in French overseas departments (especially French Guiana, where it exceeded 33%).

Since 1992, land take has increased from 6.9% of the total surface area of mainland France to 9.5% in 2023, corresponding to an average annual land take of 60,000 hectares — equivalent to the area of the Territoire de Belfort department. According to studies conducted in mainland France, 20,000 to 25,000 hectares were consumed annually between 2019 and 2022. By comparison, between 1982 and 2010, 53,900 hectares were consumed annually. Land take is very unevenly distributed across the country. Metropolitan areas and coastal regions are the most affected, while mountain areas are better preserved.

In 2023, the circular economy accounted for 847,500 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions in France, slightly more than 3% of total national employment. This sector experienced strong growth, gaining nearly 200,000 FTE jobs between 2010 and 2021, which corresponds to an average annual increase of 2.5%, well above the total employment growth rate. These jobs were distributed across four main pillars: extension of useful life; automotive maintenance and repair; sustainable sourcing (mostly from organic farming); and responsible consumption, mainly driven by rental activities.

In France, 9.7 million tonnes of food waste were generated in 2023, equivalent to 142 kg per person. Of this total, 3.8 million tonnes were still edible, including damaged products and leftovers from meals. The remaining 5.9 million tonnes were inedible (bones, peelings, etc.) and classified as food waste. Food waste therefore amounted to 3.8 million tonnes of edible food waste (such as unopened and uneaten packaged food, meal leftovers, etc.), equivalent to 55 kg per person. This concerned all stages of the food supply chain. The share of food waste varied depending on its position in the chain, as follows: 76% of food waste at the primary production stage; 27% during processing; 37% in retail and distribution; 49% in food service; and 31% in household consumption. Figures for France are above the European average (130 kg per capita).

In 2023, the deployment of Industrial and Territorial Ecology (ITE) in France was structured around two key drivers: the national Territories of Industry programme and dedicated calls for projects at regional level. Covering 190 industrial areas, the Territories of Industry programme brings together more than 630 intermunicipal authorities across more than 18 French regions. Since 2024, more than 300 industrial projects have been supported through the “Territories of Industry in Ecological Transition” Green Fund , potentially creating more than 3,700 jobs.

12,493 communes are covered by a natural risk prevention plan and almost 11,000 of these are covered by a flooding prevention plan (excluding marine submersion). On average, 2,974 municipalities per year were covered by at least one official order recognising natural disaster status due to flooding. When the years 1982 and 1999 are excluded, this average falls to 2,052 municipalities. Since 1989, an average of 1,717 municipalities per year have been covered by at least one official order recognising drought-related hazards. Since 1982, 99% of municipalities have been officially recognised at least once as being affected by a natural disaster.

In recent years, the number of very severe natural events has increased significantly compared with the period from 1950 to 2000. Every year between 2001 and 2024, an average of four very serious natural events occurred (events causing at least 10 fatalities or €30 million in material damage), versus only one between 1950 and 2000. Of the 161 events recorded over the entire period, around two-thirds were floods. Approximately 11 million homes are located within the area at potential risk of flooding from river overflow, as defined in 2011. These homes are occupied by nearly 18 million people (2021 data), across almost 30,700 municipalities, representing 26.5% of the population. In coastal areas, just under 1,700 municipalities were exposed to the risk of coastal flooding caused by marine submersion.

In 2024, the cost of climate-related events in France amounted to €5 billion for insurers, making it the ninth most expensive year in terms of claims related to natural events. This was a year-on-year decrease of more than 20%, as climate-related claims had cost French insurers €6.5 billion in 2023. This amount corresponds to compensation paid out by insurers following climate-related damage, including natural disasters (more than €2 billion), crop losses (€0.8 billion) and damage caused by storms, hail or snow load (€2.2 billion).

In February 2017, France drew up a national strategy for the sea and coast (SNML) setting out long-term goals in this area. Following the revision process, the SNML 2024-2030 was adopted and published by decree on 10 June 2024. The revision of the Sea Basin Strategy Documents (SBSDs) for mainland France’s four coastline regions was launched following the adoption of the SNML. Strategic components of the updated SBSDs (Sea Basin Strategy Documents) were adopted at the end of 2025 for the four coastlines: Eastern English Channel and North Sea (MEMN), North Atlantic West Channel (NAMO), South Atlantic (SA), and Mediterranean (MED).

The network of French marine protected areas is gradually expanding (within waters under French jurisdiction and sovereignty). It covers all French marine territories and is distributed as follows: 45.3% of French mainland coastlines; 33.1% of overseas marine areas.

There are many kinds of marine pollution (oil slicks, chemical pollution, sound pollution, marine waste, etc.), and this can be voluntary (illegal dumping) or accidental (collisions, damage, vessels running aground, loss of containers during storms, etc.). Of the pollution confirmed by POLREPs (pollution reports), the majority (57%) concerned hydrocarbon pollution (illegal dumping, damage, collision, accidents at sea or in an estuary - from refineries or vessels). This was mainly found on maritime traffic routes across the English Channel and Atlantic Ocean, to the east of Corsica and along the Mediterranean coast.

The surface area covered by forestland in mainland France has been increasing for nearly 200 years. A century ago (in 1908), forests covered nearly 10 million hectares. Today, they extend across 17.6 million hectares. Rural exodus, the agricultural and industrial revolutions, afforestation supported by the National Forestry Fund (1947–1999, which contributed to the planting or replanting of 2 million hectares) and continued reforestation efforts in mountainous areas all largely contributed to this post-war expansion. The continuing abandonment of agricultural land currently accounts for the vast majority of the increase in forested areas in Brittany, the Cévennes and, more broadly, across the southern fringe of the Massif Central. It should also be noted that France has an additional 8.2 million hectares of forest in its overseas departments and regions, which are not included in the calculation of this indicator.

Since 2021, France has adopted the “Climate and Resilience” law, which sets a national objective to control urban sprawl. This objective requires that, over the 2021-2031 ten-year period, compared with the 2011-2021 period, the consumption of natural, agricultural and forest areas be reduced by half, and that France achieve zero net land take by 2050.
In addition, under Regulation (EU) 2024/1991 on nature restoration, France aims in particular to achieve by 2030 zero net loss of its total surface in urban green spaces and urban tree canopy cover within urban ecosystem areas, and to increase these areas from 2031 onwards. Finally, France has launched a national land take monitoring portal, which notably makes it possible to track the annual consumption of natural, agricultural and forest areas:
https://artificialisation.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/