October 2025 Mobility & Consumption Minute: uncertainty over 2035, culture contributes €50 billion
Every month, the Mobility Minute and the Consumption Minute explore two major trends transforming consumer behaviour in France and across Europe.
Presented by Flavien Neuvy, economist and Director of the Cetelem Observatory, these two analyses provide a one-minute overview of the developments shaping the mobility and consumer markets.
In October 2025, two major issues stand out:
- France’s cultural sector generates around €50 billion in added value.
- The planned phase-out of new combustion-engine car sales from 2035 is facing growing opposition
Mobility Minute: uncertainty is growing around the 2035 combustion-engine phase-out
Adopted on 18 April 2023 as part of the European Green Deal, the 2035 target was designed to end sales of new combustion-engine cars and support the European Union’s objective of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
More than two years later, that trajectory is increasingly being questioned.
New-car sales remain low, electric vehicles are gaining ground more slowly than initially expected, and political opposition has intensified at the highest level.
What you need to know
– the measure was adopted on 18 April 2023 as part of the European Green Deal
– the broader objective is carbon neutrality by 2050
– new-car sales in Europe remain at a relatively low level
– electric cars account for around 15% of sales in 2025, compared with a trajectory that had pointed towards approximately 25%
– in early October, the German Chancellor officially called for the 2035 policy to be reconsidered
To understand why regulatory uncertainty is costly for the automotive industry and how it encourages motorists to delay purchasing decisions:
👉 Discover the full analysis on the Cetelem Observatory
Find out about the latest Auto 2025 study by l’Observatoire Cetelem
In 2011, l’Observatoire Cetelem de l’Automobile took an interest in the under-30s, then called the “Generation Y”.
Nearly 15 years later, it looks at Generation Z, who succeeded them, in a new study that evaluates their relationship with the automobile in a context of market downturn, slowing inflation and debates on the transition to electric.
Carried out in 14 countries, among 16,000 people, the study by l’Observatoire de l’Auto 2025 is rich in lessons.
Consumption Minute: culture generates €50 billion in added value
Live entertainment, cinema and music all occupy a distinctive place in French life and their economic weight is considerable.
Three figures illustrate the scale of the sector:
€50 billion in annual added value, 750,000 direct and indirect jobs, and €37 billion spent by households every year.
What you need to know
– €50 billion in annual added value generated by the cultural sector;
– 750,000 direct and indirect jobs;
– €37 billion spent by households each year;
– 2,082 music and comedy festivals organised across France every year;
– household spending on leisure, culture and enjoyment has remained relatively resilient for several decades.
To understand what the resilience of cultural spending reveals about household priorities — and what 2,082 festivals represent in economic terms:
👉 Discover the full analysis on the Cetelem Observatory
Find out about l’Observatoire Cetelem new 2025 consumer study
In 2023, the Cetelem Consumer Observatory took an interest in the low-cost market and its extension. Today, we look at the evolution of consumption in France, which is very different from that of a few years ago. If you want to dig a little deeper into the subject, discover the complete European study by the Cetelem Observatory on consumption in 2025
Find out about the latest Consumption study
Two markets, two relationships with the long term
On one side is an industrial sector asking for long-term visibility and struggling to obtain it.
On the other is a cultural sector whose resilience can be measured over decades.
Together, they reveal two very different relationships with time: uncertainty is delaying investment in mobility, while cultural spending continues to demonstrate remarkable resilience.
FAQ – October 2025 Mobility & Consumption Minute
- When will sales of new combustion-engine cars be phased out in Europe?
Under the legislation adopted on 18 April 2023 as part of the European Green Deal, the target date is 2035. - What is the objective of the 2035 measure?
It is part of the European Union’s broader strategy to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. - What share of European new-car sales is electric?
Electric cars accounted for around 15% of sales in 2025 at this point in the year, compared with a trajectory that had suggested approximately 25%. - How important is the cultural sector to the French economy?
The cultural sector generates around €50 billion in added value each year and supports approximately 750,000 direct and indirect jobs. - How much do French households spend on culture?
French households spend approximately €37 billion on cultural activities and products every year. - Where can the full analyses be found?
Both analyses are available on the Cetelem Observatory website, respectively in its Automotive and Consumption sections.
