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Ifop Survey Finds Rising Rigorism Among Young Muslims in France

Religious leaders and sociologists urge caution, citing polling limits and warning against reading political intent into increased practice.

Overview

  • Key findings include 57% of 15–24 year-olds saying Islamic rules take precedence over French law and roughly one-third of under‑25s expressing sympathy for at least one Islamist current, including 23% for the Muslim Brotherhood.
  • The poll was conducted by telephone from August 8 to September 2, 2025, drawing a 1,005-person Muslim sub-sample from a national panel of 14,244 respondents aged 15 and over.
  • Contextual figures highlight that Muslims account for about 7% of the population—far below public perceptions of 31%—as France sees long-term declines in Catholic affiliation and growth in those with no religion.
  • The Grande Mosquée de Paris, led by Chems-eddine Hafiz, says stronger practice reflects a search for meaning and not a political project, pointing to prior Ifop work showing attachment to the Republic and non-political understandings of “sharia.”
  • Experts call for careful interpretation of sensitive beliefs measured by phone surveys; the study also reports 73% of Muslims endorse the right to apostasy, up from 44% in 1989, as some analysts note youth-driven religiosity is visible across other faiths.