Three out of 10 people in France are experiencing “mobility insecurity,” and 6 out of 10 are canceling trips
There are elastic and inelastic consumer goods, and fuel undoubtedly falls into the inelastic category. People’s needs for transportation, heating, and energy are relentless. But price increases—when they are large and sustained—test the “inelasticity” of demand for goods such as (still) essential automotive fuels, gasoline and diesel.
In France, the price inelasticity of liquid fuels is waning, as consumers are avoiding certain trips in their private cars—especially when it comes to leisure travel. As a result, demand for unleaded gasoline and diesel is declining due to high prices, as shown by a survey published Thursday on the Wimoov website.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
The survey was conducted by the Ipsos BVA Institute among 13,400 people in mainland France and Corsica. The findings showed that approximately 17 million French people over the age of 18—that is, about 31% of the country’s adult population—have fallen into a state of “mobility insecurity.” In other words, for financial reasons, they are unable to move about freely and are therefore forced to forgo certain trips by private car that they would otherwise take under different circumstances.
The French market is accurate
In similar surveys conducted by Ipsos BVA in 2024 and 2022, the number of French people experiencing “mobility insecurity” were estimated at 15 million and 13.3 million, respectively.
“This deterioration comes amid strong tensions over fuel prices since the start of the war in the Middle East in late February,” writes Julien Boitel of “Les Echos.” On Thursday morning, the average price of diesel exceeded 2.37 euros per liter, a level approaching the record of just over 2.38 euros set in April 2026, according to an AFP analysis based on government data.
Unleaded 95-octane gasoline, which is the best-selling fuel in France, is also trading at historic highs, averaging 2.16 euros per liter over the past ten days, surpassing the record high set in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
It should be noted here that in France, the price of diesel is traditionally higher than that of gasoline, both for environmental reasons (emissions) but also because maintaining a diesel engine (unless it is turbocharged) is generally more economical than maintaining a gasoline engine.
Protests have begun
Despite Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu’s statements on Wednesday, in which he announced the extension of “targeted assistance” for fuel consumers until December 31, public discontent over high prices is actually growing, according to a reporter for “Les Echos.”
“Fishermen were still blocking a fuel depot in Frontignan (near Montpellier) this Thursday, as well as the ports of Sète and Nice, further east along the French Mediterranean coast. Taxi owners and drivers are also preparing demonstrations, reminiscent of the 2018 Yellow Vests movement,” notes Julien Boatel.
As public discontent takes the form of protests, Emmanuel Macron invited representatives of political parties and the candidates they are backing for next year’s presidential election.
Consumption Is Falling
Those who use vehicles or boats for business travel are organizing at the industry level to protest the high costs. For now, ordinary car owners are responding by limiting their travel by car, a trend reflected in France’s fuel consumption statistics, which show that gasoline and diesel deliveries to the French market have been steadily declining since April.
In August, deliveries had fallen by 6.6% compared to August 2025, totaling 3.579 million cubic meters of fuel, according to data released by the Professional Petroleum Committee and reported by the French Union of Petroleum Industries (Ufip).
In the first eight months of this year, road fuel consumption fell by 5% compared to the same period in 2025. This represents an “unprecedented drop,” according to Philippe Campa, president of Ufip Energies et Mobilités. This decline is primarily due to a sharp 7.6% drop in diesel deliveries, while gasoline deliveries remained stable (they actually showed a slight increase of 0.4%, but as mentioned earlier, gasoline is cheaper in France than diesel).
A Governmental Goal
Reducing hydrocarbon consumption, combined with the promotion of electric vehicles, is a policy goal in France. Thus, the recorded decline in diesel consumption brings the country closer than ever to its central goal of reducing fuel consumption, which, is set at 6% annually under the government’s long-term energy conservation program.
“We are closer to achieving the energy-saving goals we have set, but the problem is that this positive development is not due to a planned and coordinated policy, but rather to rising fuel prices resulting from geopolitical developments,” notes Philippe Campa of Ufip.
In any case, it should be noted that historically, following every oil crisis—beginning with the 1973 crisis—demand for and consumption of fossil fuels have declined. It recovers later, of course, but this is because the market and overall energy demand are growing —one need only consider that in 1973 the world’s population was approximately 3.7 billion and has more than doubled since then.
Perhaps most importantly, every oil crisis is also an opportunity to make leaps and bounds in technological progress toward more economical and “cleaner” operation of internal combustion engines. The fuel consumption and environmental impact of modern cars are incomparable to those of the 1970s. Thus, despite the increase in the number of vehicles on the roads, air pollution in cities has decreased significantly.
Source: in.gr
