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Limitations in daily activities in adults aged 65 and over, 2021
– Some Limitations: 25%
– Severe Limitations: 16%
Estimated prevalence of dementia per 1,000 population, 2021: 17.3
Estimated prevalence of dementia per 1,000 population, 2040: 24.0
Population aged 15 years and over rating their own health as bad or very bad, 2021: 8.9%
Adults aged 65 and over rating their own health as poor or very poor, by income, 2021
– Lowest quintile: 25%
– Highest quintile: 10%
– Total: 17%

Source: OECD (2023), Health at a Glance 2023: OECD Indicators, OECD Publishing, Paris, doi.org/10.1787/7a7afb35-en.

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“Finally, the SHI [Statutory Health Insurance] also provides cash benefits to compensate for specific periods where workers are temporarily or permanently unable to work and do not receive their usual income. This is the case for sick leave (with a maximum of 360 days over three years for most illnesses, but this maximum duration is topped up to three years for patients with a long-term illness recognized in a list established by the MoH), maternity leave (between 16 and 46 weeks depending on whether it is a multiple pregnancy and there are other children in the family) and paternity leave (between 25 and 32 days) (CNAM, 2021a, 2021d, 2021e, 2021h). The SHI also provides a disability pension for individuals presenting substantial and long-lasting difficulties for working (loss of at least two thirds of working capacity) as assessed by an SHI physician. The amount of disability pension paid to eligible claimants represents between 30% and 50% of the mean annual income earned in the best past 10 years and is variable depending on the degree of disability (CNAM, 2021h). In 2020 cash benefits provided by the SHI to compensate for periods not worked (not including civil servants) amounted to €19 billion (DREES, 2021b).”

Source: Or Z, Gandré C, Seppänen AV, Hernández-Quevedo C, Webb E, Michel M, Chevreul K. France: Health system review. Health Systems in Transition, 2023; 25(3): i–241.

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“About 3 million people have an administratively recognized disability in France, of whom 1.8 million have a severe disability which limits their functional autonomy (Espagnacq, 2015).

“There were nearly 540 000 places available in residential care or in specific services dedicated to individuals with disabilities in the health and social care sectors in 2020 (Bohic & Le Morvan, 2021).

“Specialized reception centres (Maison d’accueil spécialisé, MAS) and medical reception centres (Établissement d’accueil médicalisé, EAM) cater for adults with disabilities who need permanent or a high level of support, while several non-medical facilities (Établissements d’accueil non médicalisé pour personnes handicapées), including dedicated residential care homes (Foyer d’hébergement; foyer polyvalent) and assisted living centres (Foyer de vie), provide accommodation for adults with disabilities that do not prevent them from working. In 2020 around 30,000 persons were hosted in specialized reception centres, 24,000 in medical reception centres, 36,000 in residential care homes and 48,000 in assisted living centres (Bohic & Le Morvan, 2021). As for older populations, LTC services at home are provided by self-employed independent nurses, SSIAD and SAAD. There are also specific LTC services at home for this population (Service d’accompagnement médicosocial pour adultes handicapés, SAMSAH) and various social support services facilitating professional and social integration of adults.

“For children there are different types of residential facility depending on the type of disability: educational centres for children with mental disabilities (70,435 places in 2020), therapeutic and educational centres (16,989 places), educational centres for children with physical disabilities (7570 places) or multiple disabilities (5742 places), and centres for children with sensory disabilities (6182 places). Home care and education services offer 53,754 places (Bohic & Le Morvan, 2021). Finally, there are around 300 medicopsycho-educational centres that screen and follow up children with mental health-related disabilities (FDCMPP, 2021). However, there are significant geographical disparities across the French territory in services provided for people with disabilities, and in particular for services for children and adolescents, even if geographical disparities tend to decrease over time (Coldefy & Gandré, 2020; Rapegno & Ravaud, 2015).”

Source: Or Z, Gandré C, Seppänen AV, Hernández-Quevedo C, Webb E, Michel M, Chevreul K. France: Health system review. Health Systems in Transition, 2023; 25(3): i–241.

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World Health Systems Facts is a project of the Real Reporting Foundation. We provide reliable statistics and other data from authoritative sources regarding health systems and policies in the US and sixteen other nations.

Page last updated April 13, 2025 by Doug McVay, Editor.