60% of French people admit breaking lockdown rules

Six in 10 French people have said they have broken at least one part of lockdown rules since the measures came into force on October 30.

This includes 24% of people admitting to going out for reasons not authorised on exemption certificates (attestations de déplacement), 23% of people saying they visited family members’ houses or received them at their home and 17% of people admitting to going outside for more than one hour, as is authorised under the rules.

The figures are based on a survey carried out by French market research company IFOP at the request of consumer help company Consolab, which polled 2,030 people over the age of 18.

The results indicate that more people are breaking rules during the second national lockdown compared to the first.

This includes a 3% increase in the number of people breaking the rules to meet with a current or potential sexual partner, as well as 20% of people admitting to visiting a friend’s house or inviting them round, an 8% increase on the first lockdown.

The survey also polled people on their mental health and found hat this lockdown is having a greater effect on morale than the first confinement.

In November 2019, 16% of French people declared that their morale was “bad”, compared to today, when 28% of people describe it as “bad”. During the first lockdown in the Spring, 20% of people said they had “bad” morale.

Sleep is also a victim of this return to lockdown: 38% of those questioned reported having sleep problems - a figure that rises to 44% among women.

In total, 52% of those surveyed feel that they are feeling a greater sense of sadness since the announcement of the second lockdown.

Police response

Between 30 October and 10 November 88,455 fines were issued for "non-compliance" with the confinement, radio station RMC reported, based on information supplied by the Ministry of Interior.

Of these fines, 30% were issued in the eight departments in the Ile-de-France region.

91.4% of the fines were issued to individuals going out for unauthorised reasons, leading to fines of €135 per person.

A very small minority of lockdown-related infractions, 315, concern the unlawful opening of businesses, for example restaurants and hairdressers.

In comparison, in March, during the first lockdown, over 12.5 million police checks were carried out in one month and more than 760,000 fines given.

The IFOP - Consolab online survey titled "Les Français et le re-confinement : entre dépression et transgression" was carried out on November 9, 2020, and polled 2,030 people aged 18 and over, representative of the population in France.

Read more about the lockdown:

7 in 10 French people in favour of lockdown, survey shows

How to cope with the mental stress of France's lockdown