Overview
- Prescriptions exceeded 860 per 1,000 inhabitants in 2024, up 4.8% year over year, while consumption reached 22.1 defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day, up 5.4%.
- About 27.2 million people—roughly 40% of the population—received at least one antibiotic prescription last year.
- France ranked second in Europe for antibiotic consumption in 2024, and current levels remain well above the national target of 650 prescriptions per 1,000 inhabitants by 2027.
- General practitioners, who issue most prescriptions, increased their antibiotic prescribing by 6.2% as specialists rose 1.5% and dentists were essentially stable at −0.2%.
- Use varied by region, age and sex—highest in Corsica and Provence‑Alpes‑Côte d’Azur, greater among women, rising among seniors, and spiking in children 0–4 in Q3—while authorities link part of the rise to seasonal viral epidemics and call for prudent use and better diagnostics.