In 2024, a 4.8% increase in prescriptions—in outpatient settings and outside the hospital sector—was observed compared to 2023, with more than 860 antibiotic prescriptions per 1,000 inhabitants issued during the year.

Expressed in Defined Daily Doses (DDD), antibiotic consumption reached 22.1 DDD per 1,000 inhabitants per day, representing a 5.4% increase compared to 2023, returning to levels comparable to those before the COVID-19 pandemic (2019).

Given the risk of developing bacteria resistant to antibiotic treatment—known as antibiotic resistance—caused by the inappropriate use of antibiotics, these new data underscore the importance of strengthening prescribers’ efforts and raising patient awareness regarding the prudent and appropriate use of antibiotics.

Resurgence in Prescription and Consumption Following the Covid-19 Pandemic

After a significant decline in antibiotic prescriptions in 2020, linked to difficulties accessing the healthcare system and measures to manage the COVID-19 pandemic (decrease in medical consultations, lockdowns, adoption of preventive measures, etc.) as well as a lower incidence of certain bacterial infections, the years 2021 and 2022 were marked by a resurgence of common winter infections, an increase in medical consultations, and a renewed rise in antibiotic prescriptions. The year 2023, however, saw a slight decline in prescriptions and consumption, a trend that has not been confirmed in 2024.

Variations in antibiotic prescriptions and consumption differ according to the patient’s age, gender, or region…

Trends in antibiotic prescriptions vary by patient age, gender, and region. Specifically:

• A stabilization among children aged 0–4 (1,326 prescriptions per 1,000 inhabitants per year), a figure that remains slightly lower than that of 2019 (1,333 prescriptions per 1,000 inhabitants per year). The number of prescriptions for children increased particularly in the third quarter of 2024, linked to sustained epidemic activity regarding winter infections, even though these are predominantly viral and should not justify antibiotic prescriptions in this situation.

• An increase was observed in the 65–79 and over-80 age groups (1,010 and 1,202 prescriptions per 1,000 inhabitants per year, respectively).

• Antibiotic consumption is generally higher among women than among men: in 2024, women accounted for 54.7% of daily doses and 51.8% of prescriptions, while women made up 51.6% of the population.

• In 2024, Corsica and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur recorded the highest levels of consumption and prescriptions, as they did in 2023, while Brittany, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, and the Pays de la Loire had the lowest rates.

… And by type of healthcare professional

Prescriptions by general practitioners (75.6% of the total volume) increased by +6.2%, those by specialists (12.2% of the total volume) by +1.5%, while prescriptions by dental surgeons (11.9% of the total) remained stable (-0.2%).