Insee Première · November 2022 · n° 1929

Twenty years of electoral participation: in 2022, age and education gaps have continued to widen

Voting in the same year in all rounds of national elections (presidential and legislative) was the dominant voting behaviour from 2002 to 2012 (48% or more of registered voters). Since 2017, intermittent voting has overtaken systematic voting (47% and 37% of registered voters respectively in 2022). Not voting in any round of national elections has become more common over time, with the exception of the 2007 elections. Systematic abstention concerned 16% of voters in 2022, compared with 9% in 2007 (12% in 2002).

The differences in turnout according to age, which were already significant in 2002, have increased over the last twenty years, especially for the legislative elections. Only 28% of those under 30 voted in the second round of the legislative elections in 2022, compared with 59% of those aged 65 or over, a 31-point difference. It was 25 points in 2002 (45% against 70%).

The gaps according to qualifications have also widened. In 2022, excluding students, 29% of registered voters with no diploma voted in all rounds of the presidential and legislative elections, compared to 44% of those with a high education level, a 15-point difference. It was 9 points in 2002 (46% against 55%).