The incidence of listeriosis in France declined significantly from 1987 to 2001, then stabilized until 2005 at around 3.5 cases per million inhabitants. In 2006, this trend reversed with a sharp increase in incidence to 4.6 cases per million inhabitants, which continued into 2007, reaching 5.0 cases per million inhabitants. This increase particularly affects individuals aged 60 and older and immunocompromised individuals, regardless of age. The incidence of maternal-neonatal listeriosis remains stable. Most regions are affected, and the summer seasonality is similar to previous years. The increase in incidence is not linked to the emergence of a specific strain, and the increase involved both sporadic cases and cases within a cluster. An increase in the incidence of listeriosis was also observed in nine European countries during the 2000–2006 period, with similar characteristics (affecting people aged 60 and older, no temporal or spatial clustering, and no emergence of specific strains). In both France and the other countries, the reasons for this increase have not been identified. Several hypotheses to explain this recent increase in the incidence of listeriosis are discussed. (R.A.)