Introduction - Valvular heart disease is a common cardiac condition that may present with very few or no symptoms for a long time, but can also lead to serious cardiovascular complications. The objective of this study was to estimate the annual incidence of patients hospitalized for valvular heart disease in France and to describe trends between 2006 and 2016. Methods - All patients hospitalized for valvular heart disease in France between 2006 and 2016 were identified using the National Health Data System (SNDS). The sociodemographic and medical characteristics of the patients were described for the year 2016. Standardized annual incidence rates and their trends between 2006 and 2016 were analyzed. All analyses were performed on the entire patient cohort and then stratified by etiology and type of valvular heart disease. Results - In 2016, 38,875 patients were hospitalized for valvular heart disease. Among them, 89% were hospitalized for non-rheumatic valvular heart disease (NRVHD) (52.1 per 100,000 person-years (PY)) with a mean age of 74 years; 5% for rheumatic valvular heart disease (RVHD) (3.1 per 100,000 person-years) with a mean age of 67 years; 3% for congenital valvular heart disease (1.1 per 100,000 person-years) with a mean age of 29 years; and 3% with an unspecified cause. The annual incidence of patients hospitalized for VNR increased by 43% between 2006 and 2016, particularly among older patients. It decreased by 42% for RV. Regional disparities were observed for these conditions, with a high incidence of hospitalizations for RV in Île-de-France, the French overseas departments and territories (DOM-TOM), and the Southeast. Conclusion - Improvements in the management of Group A streptococcal angina, increased life expectancy, and the expansion of indications for percutaneous treatment of aortic stenosis and mitral regurgitation have altered the distribution of types of valvular heart disease requiring hospitalization since 2006.