An increasing number of French people are depending on food banks for help, reflecting a steep drop in the population's purchasing power, a study shows. The French would need another 500 euros per month in their pockets to maintain a decent standard of living, another study highlights.

The French population’s purchasing power is deteriorating rapidly, which is clearly indicated by the growing number of people utilising the services of food banks. A study by the CSA Institute reveals that more than a third of the French benefiting from food aid are newcomers, who started to turn to food banks in the past six months, showing an increase in the number of people in need, Le Parisien writes.

After housing costs, food has become the second biggest expense for the French, ahead of energy bills. The survey conducted in the autumn and now made public also reveals that two-thirds of the respondents, 15 per cent more than two years ago, consider food aid to be essential.

Nearly 60 per cent of the beneficiaries use food banks once or twice a week, an increase of 6 per cent compared to 2020.

Since 2008, more and more people need help due the various economic and health crises, with three times more French people living in precarious situations than a decade ago. Figures from the end of 2022 show that some 2.4 million people or nearly 3.5 per cent of the population received food aid across France. 17 per cent of those using food banks have a job, of whom 60 per cent have full-time and 66 per cent part-time employment.

French food banks collect almost 132 thousand tonnes of food from wholesalers, food industry companies, farmers and the population, and they also buy fresh produce. They then send the food to charities and community centres.

It is not only the French, however, who have seen their financial situation worsen, according to another survey by CSA Institute.

Fortement impactés par l’#inflation (74%), les Français ont adapté au cours de l’année 2022 leurs habitudes de #consommation, maitrisant ainsi mieux leur #budget.

Notre dernière #étude sur les stratégies financières des Français pour @Cofidis : https://t.co/FYdQeLq111 pic.twitter.com/y01boskSAW

— Institut CSA (@InstitutCSA) February 15, 2023

The survey reveals that 74 per cent of the respondents had to change their consumption habits because of inflation, but feel that on average 476 euros per month is still missing from their budget to maintain a decent standard of living.

62 per cent of those surveyed turned down the heating in their homes and use their car less to save money. The portion is even higher, 71 per cent, among people between 50 and 64 years of age.

The pace of inflation accelerated again in France, with food and energy prices soaring. The price of fresh produce rose by 14.2 per cent, that of other food products grew by 14.6 per cent, while the cost of energy went up by 14 per cent in February.

It is not only French people, however, who are in a difficult situation. As V4NA recently reported, an increasing number of people in Great Britain are dependent on food banks. If the tendency continues, the amount of the aid will have to be limited to ensure that all those in need can still be provided with food.