This is an eight percentage point rise in those who said they were racist in a similar poll a year ago.
The survey of 1,011 people was carried out by the CSA polling institute for the National Consultative Commission for Human Rights.
The commission said the poll pointed to socio-economic unease and suggested racism is gaining acceptability.
France last year saw weeks of rioting in impoverished suburbs that was partly linked to the anger many youths from immigrant families felt at alleged racial discrimination.
The survey was conducted in late November 2005 – just after the riots had subsided.
Source: BBC News
