France's 2024 Mortality Trends Reveal Rising Cardiovascular and Respiratory Deaths Amid Cancer Progress

In 2024, France recorded 641,046 deaths, marking an increase of 4,000 deaths from 2023, according to reports by Drees, Inserm, and Santé publique France. Despite a reduction in the standardized mortality rate to 777.9 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants—a decrease of 11 deaths per 100,000 compared to 2023—this decline remains less pronounced than the previous year and above pre-pandemic levels.

Cancer continues to be the leading cause of death, accounting for 27.1% of fatalities, while cardiovascular diseases comprised 21.2%. Notably, the annual mortality report published on June 23, 2026, highlights a persistent and concerning rise in deaths related to circulatory system diseases, including heart attacks and strokes, which significantly exceed pre-pandemic projections. This indicates a lingering public health impact from the Covid-19 crisis.

The mortality rate from respiratory diseases, excluding Covid-19, increased by 5 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants driven by surges in influenza and pneumonia cases. Additionally, infectious diseases such as septicemia saw an uptick. Over one-fifth of deaths had unclear or unspecified causes, with 4.8% completely unknown and 16.5% insufficiently precise. Furthermore, 32% of death certificates reported at least one associated cause, predominantly chronic conditions like hypertension in the elderly.

Overall, while cancer mortality declined in 2024, the worrying increase in cardiovascular and respiratory-related deaths underlines the enduring challenges in France's public health landscape post-pandemic.