Tuberculosis is a preventable infectious disease whose impact on public health is growing worldwide. The World Health Organization estimates that if the disease is not brought under control globally, tuberculosis could cause 35 million deaths over the next 20 years. The epidemiological situation in France and its recent trends are not as concerning, but certain epidemiological characteristics have necessitated the implementation of recommendations in recent years to better control the disease. Indeed, as is the case throughout Western Europe, tuberculosis remains a major health problem for certain populations and in limited geographic areas. Improving and strengthening epidemiological surveillance is essential for implementing appropriate control and prevention measures among the most affected populations. Thus, to better describe the epidemiological situation, reporting criteria were modified in France in 2003 with the introduction of reporting for latent tuberculosis infections in children under 15 years of age, and sociodemographic items were added, such as employment in health and social services, being homeless, and the year of arrival in France for individuals born abroad. This article reviews the epidemiological situation of tuberculosis in France in 2004, based on mandatory reporting data, with a particular focus on sociodemographic data and data related to latent infections. (Introduction)