Introduction - Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and stroke are responsible for more than 140,000 deaths each year in France. Few recent studies have described the French population’s perception of these conditions and their knowledge of their risk factors. The objective of this study was to describe the French population’s perception of cardiovascular diseases and their knowledge of cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs), and to examine the determinants associated with a lack of awareness of the main CVRFs in France. Methods - Data from the 2019 Santé publique France Barometer were used. In this article, the analyses focused on the 5,074 individuals, aged 18 to 85, residing in metropolitan France, who answered questions about CVD and stroke. The analyses were weighted to account for the survey weighting and the structure of the French population. Results - In our study, 53% of participants reported fearing stroke, 45% feared myocardial infarction, and 40% believed they were at risk of CVD or stroke. Among those who believed they were at cardiovascular risk, 57% had discussed this with a healthcare professional. This perception of being at risk was reported more frequently by people with known hypertension, smokers, and former smokers—and thus those at risk of CVD or stroke. Hypertension, smoking, and obesity were cited as CVD risk factors by more than 90% of respondents. Diabetes was cited by only 70% of those surveyed. Awareness of all four major CVD risk factors (hypertension, smoking, diabetes, and high cholesterol) was reported by 61% of the population. Being under 45 years of age, being single, living in an urban area, not having a high school diploma, not having received first aid training, and not feeling at risk of CVD or stroke were independently associated with a lack of awareness of the four main CVD risk factors. Conclusion - In 2019, nearly half of French people reported fearing a CVD or stroke. Awareness of the risk factors for these conditions among the population has greatly improved over the past 20 years and is now at high levels, although it remains variable depending on the specific risk factor and certain sociodemographic characteristics. These findings should be incorporated into a comprehensive approach to preventing cardiovascular risk factors with the aim of changing behaviors.