Introduction: Since hospitalizations for asthma attacks serve as an indicator of inadequate care, trends in asthma-related hospitalizations in metropolitan France between 1998 and 2002 were analyzed. Methods: Using data from the PMSI, hospital stays for asthma were defined by codes J45-J46 (ICD-10) as the primary diagnosis, and those for acute respiratory failure (ARF) associated with asthma by code J96.0 as the primary diagnosis and J45-J46 as the associated diagnosis. Results: The standardized hospitalization rate for asthma decreased from 10.8 in 1998 to 8.6 per 10,000 in 2002 (-5% per year). A significant decrease was observed among those aged 10 and older (ranging from -5% per year among 10–14-year-olds to -9% per year among those aged 50 and older). A non-significant increase in the hospitalization rate for AR associated with asthma was observed. Conclusion: Hospitalization rates for asthma decreased between 1998 and 2002 among those aged 10 years or older. This reduction likely reflects changes in the preventive treatment of asthmatic patients. However, changes in coding practices or hospitalization criteria cannot be ruled out.