An Ifop study shows that French Muslims aged 15 to 24 are increasingly drawn to rigorous forms of Islam, often preferring Sharia to republican laws. Unlike their elders, this generation exhibits intensified religious practices and a temptation toward an Islamist political project. The trend raises questions about secularism and the Muslim electorate.
The Ifop institute published, on November 18, 2025, a study conducted from 1989 to the present for the revue Écran de veille, based on a sample of 1000 people of Muslim faith. The findings highlight a process of re-Islamization particularly marked among the youngest, aged 15 to 24. François Kraus, director of the political and current affairs department at Ifop, analyzes: “This survey clearly draws the portrait of a Muslim population traversed by a process of re-Islamization, structured around rigorous religious norms and increasingly tempted by an Islamist political project.”
Among young Muslims, there is an intensification of worship practices and a rigidification of behaviors, with a preference for Sharia over French laws. The wearing of the veil is becoming commonplace, the rejection of male-female mixing is no longer marginal, and sympathy for Islamist movements is gaining ground. This evolution contrasts with previous generations, where such trends were less pronounced.
On the political front, this re-Islamization could influence elections. In the June 2024 European elections, 62% of Muslim voters supported La France Insoumise (LFI), according to an Ifop poll for La Croix. In an editorial, Yves Thréard warns: France faces a “conquering Islam” and must defend its secularism after years of laissez-faire. He also points to the role of part of the left, accused of electoral clientelism in supporting radical Islam. These observations underscore the challenges for integration and republican cohesion.
