French consumer sentiment declined by 5 points to 80 in October, marking its lowest level since June 2013 amid nationwide protests, the country's official statistics agency INSEE said on Tuesday.
France is being hit by a wave of protests, which began with small student demonstrations in suburban Paris in September to denounce school conditions and swiftly broadened into a wider protest against the government's economic policies.
Economists surveyed by Reuters had expected confidence to be 85, the same as the revised September number.
The consumer confidence is well below a long-term average of 100 between January 1987 and December 2025.
The proportion of consumers who believe that prices have risen sharply over the past 12 months has risen by 8 points, having already gained 6 in September.
Households’ sentiment toward their past and future personal financial situations has also dropped by 9 and 6 points, respectively.
Fears over the trend in unemployment are on the rise again, up by 5 points following a fall in September.
The proportion of households considering this a good time to make savings has also fallen by 6 points.
