In general, French people are fairly unfamiliar with development issues. Since the term ’development’ has multiple meanings in French, it is not spontaneously or automatically associated to the causes and consequences of global poverty: for example, ’sustainable development’ is perceived as being about ecology and the environment, and ’development’ (as an isolated term) usually carries the connotation of stimulating business activity rather than bringing developing countries to mind.

In this section, we demonstrate what French people do, or don’t know, when it comes to the questions and parameters of development and poverty reduction. Beyond the answers given - rightly or wrongly - it is also important to note the level of "I don’t know" returns, demonstrative in itself of the extent of public knowledge - or lack of - regarding some of the seemingly most basic questions.