Kisses, handshakes, hand hygiene...
IFOP Survey conducted on 15/10/2021 in partnership with XloveCam
As seasonal infections such as colds, stomach bugs, and bronchiolitis make a comeback this month, respect for barrier gestures (e.g., mask-wearing, no physical contact when greeting, hand hygiene) has once again become a public health issue—especially for children who weren’t exposed to many viruses last year and thus haven’t developed immunity. On the occasion of Global Handwashing Day (October 15), organized annually with UNICEF's support, IFOP has published a European Hygiene Observatory to assess whether the good habits observed during the first lockdown have endured in French hygiene culture, and how the French compare to their neighbors in combating hand-borne transmission of germs.
Confirming recent findings from Santé Publique France (CoviPrev survey), this survey—conducted with a representative sample of 5,039 adults across the five largest European countries (Spain, Italy, France, Germany, UK)—reveals that the French, alongside the British, are among the worst performers in respecting barrier gestures. They have notably relaxed their vigilance regarding handwashing and physical distancing, such as handshakes or cheek kisses.
Despite some improvement compared to pre-pandemic behavior, the French are now the worst in Europe when it comes to hand hygiene after using the toilet: only 76% say they systematically wash their hands after going to the bathroom, compared to 86% in Germany, 83% in Italy, 82% in the UK, and 77% in Spain.
The overall improvement in “good hygiene practices” across the five major European countries is notable (+19 points since 2014), driven mainly by a catch-up in Latin countries—Spain (+24 pts to 85%), Italy (+29 pts to 85%), France (+22 pts to 84%)—compared to more northern countries like the UK (+11 pts to 86%) and Germany (+11 pts to 89%).
France is also the country with the fewest adults respecting cough/sneeze etiquette promoted during the pandemic: only 53% of French people always cover their mouth with their arm when coughing (vs. 61% European average), and just 27% systematically wash their hands after blowing their nose (vs. 32% European average).
In other areas of daily life, Northern countries (Germany, UK) tend to lag in hand hygiene, with the British being the worst for washing hands before meals (48%, vs. 60% European average), upon arriving home (51%, vs. 62%), or after public transport (50%, vs. 62%).
18 months after being banned from social habits, the French didn’t wait for government permission to resume hugging and cheek kissing: 65% now kiss close friends or colleagues, still lower than the 91% pre-lockdown but nearly double the rate from six months prior (+26 points since March 2021).
Contrary to popular belief, cheek kissing isn’t uniquely French—it’s a common greeting throughout Latin Europe. This form of social intimacy is most common in Spain (66%), Italy (61%), and France (59%), and less so in Germany (43%) and the UK (41%).
The handshake has also made a comeback: 59% of French people shake hands with acquaintances, triple the rate from March 2021 (22%). Although still below pre-pandemic levels (85%), this shows a widespread disregard for official health guidelines.
As winter illnesses (e.g., flu, bronchiolitis, gastroenteritis) return, hand hygiene is again a crucial public health issue. But the French are not particularly aware of the risks of transmission—especially those related to nasal or fecal secretions.
Despite some progress compared to pre-COVID times, the French still rank at the bottom of Europe for washing hands after using the toilet.
The survey shows that while systematic post-toilet handwashing has improved by 5 points since January 2020, France still lags behind:
76% in France vs. 86% Germany, 83% Italy, 82% UK, 77% Spain.
Longer-term data (Win Gallup – 2014) confirms a general hygiene improvement across Western Europe:
86% now wash hands automatically after the toilet, compared to 67% in 2014.
However, this increase is largely due to Latin countries catching up:
+24 pts in Spain (85%), +29 pts in Italy (86%), +22 pts in France (84%), vs. +11 pts in the UK (86%) and Germany (89%).
Where France once held a middle position between top (UK, Germany) and bottom (Spain, Italy) performers, it now ranks last on almost all hygiene indicators relating to fecal and nasal secretion risks.
France also has the lowest rate of adherence to coughing/sneezing etiquette:
Only 53% of French people always cover with an arm when coughing (vs. 61% average), and just 27% always wash hands after blowing their nose (vs. 32% average).
These rates have dropped significantly since the first lockdown:
-29 pts for handwashing after nose blowing
-16 pts for arm coverage when coughing
-14 pts for sneezing into disposable tissues (now 49%)
In daily life, northern countries (UK, Germany) show lower compliance with hand hygiene guidelines—especially the British, who are the worst in Europe for washing hands:
The only time the British outperform the Germans is before cooking: 72% of Germans vs. a European average of 76%.
While the French are not always last in barrier gesture compliance, adherence has dropped significantly since the first lockdown:
On the other hand, habits less targeted by health campaigns have remained stable:
These results suggest that COVID-19 raised awareness about hand hygiene, but didn’t lead to a long-term cultural shift in France.
“Now it’s over, you can kiss again” — said Prime Minister Jean Castex on March 16, 2021.
But the French and their neighbors didn’t wait for official approval to resume cheek kissing and hugging.
According to the survey, the cheek kiss is once again a key greeting ritual among French people, especially with close friends and colleagues:
65% now kiss on the cheek (up from 39% in March 2021). Though still below pre-pandemic levels (91%), the rate has doubled in six months.
Even among strangers, cheek kissing is growing: 23% do it now, vs. 9% in March 2021.
Cheek kissing is not uniquely French—it’s a widespread social practice across Latin Europe:
The same North/South divide applies to cheek kissing with acquaintances:
In France and beyond, the return of the “bise” suggests a public indifference to official health advice, possibly because handwashing is no longer seen as the only form of protection.
18 months after being banned, handshakes have returned to French greeting customs:
59% now shake hands with people they know—**three times more** than in March 2021 (22%).
While still below pre-pandemic levels (85%), the guidelines are clearly no longer followed by most people.
This trend is seen across Europe:
Although the concept of “barrier gestures”—virtually unknown a year and a half ago—has entered the public consciousness, compliance rates for handwashing have returned to pre-COVID levels.
In countries like France, where poor hygiene habits seem deeply rooted in the national culture, reinforcing the importance of handwashing remains a challenge for public health authorities, especially to prevent viral infections in winter.
TO CITE THIS STUDY, PLEASE USE AT LEAST THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT:
“IFOP study for XLoveCam conducted via self-administered online questionnaire from July 7 to 8, 2021, with 5,039 individuals aged 18 and over, representative of the populations of Italy, Spain, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.”
The survey was conducted with 5,039 people aged 18 and over, representative of each of the following countries: Italy (1,007); Spain (1,008); France (1,009); Germany (1,011); United Kingdom (1,004).
Representativeness was ensured using quota sampling (age, profession), after regional stratification. Data were aligned with figures from the European Union Labour Force Survey (EU LFS 2011).
Interviews were conducted via online self-administered questionnaires from September 21 to 27, 2021.