Introduction: In the context of an aging population, disability-free life expectancy (DFLE) is estimated to assess the quality of life within life expectancy (LE). This article reviews trends in DFLE in France, particularly following the decline in LE in 2015. Materials and methods: Disability data are drawn from the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC). Mortality and population data are sourced from vital records and the census. We used the Sullivan method to decompose the years lived from the mortality table into years lived with and without disability. Results: Between 2014 and 2015, HALE decreased by 0.7 years for men and increased by 0.3 years for women. However, since 2004, HALE has increased by 1.1 years for men and has remained virtually unchanged for women (+0.2 years). Discussion and conclusion: The one-time decrease in life expectancy in 2015 did not have the same impact on the disability-adjusted life expectancy (DALE) for men and women. The dynamics of mortality and disability are complex; analysis of annual fluctuations remains essential in the coming years to better understand them.