The surveillance system for burn victims established by Santé publique France makes it possible to study the epidemiological trends of these injuries.

In 2014, the PMSI-MCO reported 8,120 patients residing and hospitalized in mainland France (5,099 men and 3,021 women), including 190 deaths.
Children aged 0 to 4 years account for more than a quarter of patients hospitalized for burns (28.8%).

A slight decrease in the incidence of patients hospitalized for burns, particularly among men

The incidence of patients hospitalized for burns decreased over the 2009–2014 period, falling from 13.8 per 100,000 in 2009 to 12.3 per 100,000 in 2014.
This decline in incidence primarily affects men (18.3 per 100,000 in 2009 versus 15.9 per 100,000 in 2014). Among women, incidence rates remained relatively stable over the period (9.4 per 100,000 in 2009 and 8.9 per 100,000 in 2014).

The severity of burns increases with age

Children are less likely to suffer severe burns than adults. The proportion of patients with severe burns is 5.3% among those aged 0–4 and 3.5% among those aged 5–14, whereas it is 11.9% among patients aged 15 and older, peaking at 15.7% among those aged 65–74.

In burn treatment centers, the average age of patients with severe burns (40.1 years; median = 40 years) is thus higher than that of patients with minor burns (30.2 years; median = 27 years).