France loves culture… but goes out less

A curious French paradox: we claim to be attached to culture, we cite it as a pillar of well-being, but we visit museums, cinemas, or libraries less often. Between 2017 and 2025, cultural participation declined sharply.

One in five French people say they haven't had a single cultural outing in the past twelve months, a figure that sounds like a quiet alarm bell in a country that readily presents itself as a nation of arts and letters. And yet, the overall picture remains positive: 86% believe that culture is important to their quality of life, second only to family and friends.

The screen won the evening, the theater waits

The figures speak for themselves. Reading at least one book in a year is reported by 72% of respondents, thirteen points lower than in 2017. Cinema attendance has dropped to 57% (down twenty points), visiting a monument or historical site to 51% (down twenty), and museum or exhibition visits to 43% (down nineteen). Libraries and media centers have slipped to 33% (down sixteen), concerts to 32% (down eight), theater, opera, or dance performances to 31%, and festivals to 23%. This decline isn't limited to a single demographic; it affects all measured activities, as if cultural outings, once a reflex, have become optional.

The screen, however, remains constantly full. Watching a film online is the domain of 65% of respondents, a series 62%, a documentary 54%, and even concerts (34%) or shows (30%) are enjoyed from the comfort of their sofas. One could blame the price, the time, the distances, the need to plan ahead, the weariness of an offering deemed too standardized—all these are mentioned… but the primary reason given remains “lack of desire.” This is the real issue, the one that causes discomfort: not just a question of access, even if disparities persist depending on income and location, but a question of collective enthusiasm, as if culture continues to be admired on display while daily life, for its part, becomes increasingly confined to the home.