On Thursday 10 September, Secours populaire français and its European partners are unveiling the results of the annual Ipsos/Secours populaire survey. For its 20th edition, the study includes a survey on perceptions of poverty and precariousness in France and, for the fifth year running, across Europe. It is based on a sample of 10,000 people aged over 18 who were surveyed online across Europe, including France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Moldova, Poland, Portugal, Romania, the United Kingdom and Serbia. This year, for the first time, the focus is on energy poverty.
A life of deprivation
– 29 % of Europeans say they are living in precarious circumstances
– A third of Europeans do not have sufficient income to meet their needs (34 %).
– 31 % of Europeans have had to cut back on family outings or leisure activities.
– 57 % of Europeans say they are willing to volunteer for a charity
Focus on energy poverty: too cold, too hot, too expensive
– 63 % of Europeans fear they will not be able to afford fuel costs.
– More than a third of Europeans have had to cut back on essential expenditure (food, healthcare) over the last twelve months in order to pay their energy and fuel bills
– A quarter of Europeans struggle to keep their homes warm enough.
High as they are, these figures could have been even higher, as they do not take into account the heatwaves of the summer that is now drawing to a close (survey conducted from 6 May to 9 June 2026).
Across Europe, the survey reveals that financial insecurity is becoming a long-term feature of people’s living conditions, forcing more and more people to go without basic necessities and to forgo the experiences that enable them to live with dignity. Nearly one in three Europeans (29 %) say they are in a situation of financial insecurity, and 34 % feel they do not have sufficient income to meet their needs (+2 per cent). These difficulties are also taking their toll on social and family life: 31 % have had to give up family outings or leisure activities.
Energy poverty further exacerbates this vulnerability, forcing people to choose between heating their homes, travelling and meeting other essential needs: 63 % of Europeans fear they will be unable to cope with fuel prices, and a third have had to cut back on essential expenditure, such as food or healthcare, in order to pay their energy bills (38 %) or fuel costs (34 %). 24 % of Europeans also struggle to keep their homes adequately warm.
These figures show that precariousness is not simply a matter of a lack of income: it tangibly reduces the choices, opportunities and quality of life of those affected.
Yet to tackle the situation, solidarity remains a powerful force. 57 % of Europeans say they are willing to volunteer for a charity. Solidarity enables us to cope, to rebuild our lives and to regain a sense of hope. This is the very essence of the work carried out by Secours populaire and its partners: every day, across Europe, volunteers step up to provide this vital support, rebuild connections and foster a spirit of solidarity which, in the face of hardship, remains irreplaceable.
Press contacts Secours populaire français
Charlotte Jorcin +33 6 77 04 57 33 / charlotte.jorcin@secourspopulaire.fr
Paul Lê +33 6 07 11 70 00 / paul.le@secourspopulaire.fr