World Grandparents' Day: Seniors Ready to "Skip a Generation"

To mark World Grandparents' Day on July 26, the third edition of the Ifop Observatory on Intergenerational Solidarity, commissioned by ASAC-FAPES, confirms a quiet revolution: people are passing on their legacy earlier and earlier—and more directly—to their grandchildren.
 

Grandparents no longer simply babysit their grandchildren or preserve family history—they have become key players in preserving cultural heritage. This is the main finding of the third edition of the Observatory on Intergenerational Solidarity, conducted by Ifop for ASAC-FAPES and released on World Grandparents’ and Seniors’ Day, July 26.
 

While children remain the primary beneficiaries of inheritances (63% of responses), direct bequests to grandchildren or great-grandchildren are gaining ground: they now account for 14%, up two percentage points in one year. Even more striking is that one in four seniors (25% of those aged 65 and older) says they are willing to “skip a generation” to bequeath their assets directly to their grandchildren. This shift can be largely attributed to demographic trends: those aged 65 and older now hold a significant share of household wealth, while younger people are struggling to become homeowners.
 

Giving While Alive: The New Norm
The study confirms a cultural shift: people now think of passing on their assets “while they’re still alive” rather than “after they’re gone.” 62% of French people plan to give while they’re alive or have already done so—five percentage points more than a year ago. This solidarity addresses a very real need: 38% of French people report having received financial assistance from a parent or grandparent over the past five years, for an average amount of 9,748 euros. These financial boosts help cover the costs of education, a driver’s license, a move, or a down payment on a home.
 

“We are witnessing a quiet revolution in wealth transfer,” says Nathalie Lejeune, CEO of FAPES Diffusion. “By the time the inheritance is received, the children are often already established in life. Grandparents therefore prefer to step in where their help will have the greatest impact: funding education, a first home purchase, or the transition into the workforce. They no longer want to simply pass on wealth; they want to pass on opportunities.” This trend, she says, reflects a profound shift in philosophy: “We no longer give simply because we’re passing away, but because the right moment has arrived.”
 

Gifts, division of property, life insurance: the tools
But this generosity still needs to be organized. Three tools stand out. First, gifts, which allow for the transfer of assets while taking advantage of renewable tax allowances and—for grandparents—a specific tax allowance for grandchildren, to which can be added a family gift of cash subject to age requirements. Next is the division of ownership, which involves transferring bare ownership while retaining the usufruct: the donor retains the use of or income from the property, and the transfer of full ownership upon death occurs without additional taxes.
 

This intergenerational generosity, however, requires some caution. Giving while you’re still alive means setting aside enough to live on and to cover the costs of long-term care, which can be high in one’s later years. Experts stress this point: you should never give away so much that you end up depending on those to whom you have given. This is why it’s important to prioritize reversible or partial solutions—such as donating bare ownership only, temporarily granting usufruct, or including an adjustable beneficiary clause—that preserve the donor’s resources and security while helping younger generations.
 

Finally, life insurance remains the premier tool for wealth transfer thanks to its favorable tax treatment and the freedom to designate beneficiaries, including grandchildren. When used effectively—and, above all, when combined appropriately—these three tools help foster solidarity across generations within a framework that is flexible, secure, and tax-optimized. ASAC-FAPES states that its CEO is available to discuss the topic in greater depth. Conducted from March 26 to 31, 2026, among 1,000 people representative of the population aged 18 and older, the survey confirms that, in France, the family remains the primary social safety net.