1 in 3 Muslims in France face rising religious discrimination

Religious discrimination is on the rise in France, with one in three Muslims reporting they have faced it, according to findings released Thursday by the nation’s rights ombudswoman.

France has a significant Muslim community through immigration from its former colonies, including in North Africa.

French law bans collecting data on a person's race, ethnicity or religion, which makes it difficult to have broad statistics on discrimination.

But the office of rights chief Claire Hedon cited a 2024 survey of 5,000 people representative of France's population.

Seven percent of those interviewed said they had suffered discrimination based on religion during the past five years, compared to just 5% in 2016, it said.

The rate was highest among people of Muslim heritage.

Up to 34% of Muslims – or people perceived as Muslims – said they had been discriminated against, compared to 19% for other religions including Judaism and Buddhism, and just 4% among Christians.

The rate stood at 38% for Muslim women, compared to 31% for their male counterparts.

Discrimination could lead to exclusion, especially for Muslim women wearing a headscarf, the report said.

"Stigmatized in public spaces, they face restrictions on their careers," it said.

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