A drop of 18 euros in one year: caught up by inflation, the French make fewer donations, according to a study

Against a backdrop of accelerating inflation and soaring prices at the pump, the generosity of the French is running out of steam. According to the eighth edition of the generosity barometer produced by the online fundraising platform Leetchi with the Odoxa institute, the average annual donation fell to 204 euros in 2026, down 18 euros over one year. It thus returns to its 2024 level, and is even one of the four lowest recorded by this annual study, after two years of increase.

In detail, a third of French people (33%) say they have reduced their donations this year, compared to only 9% who have increased them. And the reason is above all budgetary: the vast majority of those who give less explain that they can no longer afford it as before (86%). This cause comes far ahead of doubts about the use of funds (66%).

The economic context does not help: over one year, consumer prices increased by 3.1% in September, according to INSEE, to the highest since January 2024, driven by the rise in energy prices (+21.3% over one year). A situation that weighs on the wallets of the French, but also on their morale: 90% of respondents are worried about the economic future and 85% say they are experiencing the impact of rising fuel prices, according to the Leetchi study.

Drop in donations from 35-49 year olds

The drop in generosity particularly affects 35-49 year olds, who give 127 euros less in 2026 compared to 2025, bringing their average donation to 150 euros. Paradoxically, despite the growing precariousness of students, young people (18-24 years old) see their average donation jump by 126 euros in one year, to reach 256 euros. And this, even though it is this age category that has called on the most for mutual help to get by over the past year. In total, nearly one in five French people had to call on solidarity this year, firstly for everyday expenses: bills, rent, transport, shopping.

Geographically, the drop in donations first affects already fragile territories, such as Hauts-de-France, but also the PACA region and Occitanie, which are among the metropolitan regions with the highest poverty rate, or even Center-Val de Loire.