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New Ifop Study Finds Sharp Generational Shift Toward Stricter Islam Among Young French Muslims

A late‑summer poll of 1,005 Muslim respondents points to a concentrated generational break within a community that represents about 7% of France.

Overview

  • Ifop’s telephone survey, conducted August 8–September 2 with 1,005 Muslim respondents drawn from a national sample of 14,244 people, was released November 17–18.
  • Among 15–24 year‑olds, 57% say Islamic rules should take precedence over French law, compared with 44% across all Muslim respondents.
  • In the same age group, 59% favor applying sharia in non‑Muslim countries, indicating a stronger alignment with Islamist legal norms than among older cohorts.
  • Overall, 38% of French Muslims approve all or part of Islamist positions versus 19% in 1998, while about 3% express sympathy for violent jihadist currents.
  • Religious practice has intensified among the under‑25s, with mosque attendance rising from 7% to 40% since 1989 and veil‑wearing increasing from 16% to 45%.