Emergency services in France - Statistics & Facts

Due to a lack of beds and human resources, emergency services are currently under pressure in France. From December 2021 to February 2023, over thirty thousand patients have slept on stretchers due to the lack of beds in emergency services across the country. Increasing waiting times reflect this need for more resources. For instance, the share of visits shorter than four hours in emergency services has decreased yearly. Before the coronavirus pandemic, ERs registered over 21 million visits annually. Although the number of ER visits significantly reduced during the pandemic, 2021 figures show an increasing trend that suggests ER foot traffic will soon rebound. That year, there were, on average, 53.3 thousand daily visits to emergency services (ER) across metropolitan France.

SAMU

In France, different organizations provide emergency medical services. The central organizations that offer these services are called SAMU, which stands for "Service d'Aide Médicale Urgente" (Urgent Medical Aid Service). Local SAMU organizations operate the control rooms that answer emergency calls and dispatch medical responders. In 2021, there were 95 SAMU centers across metropolitan France, yet their regional presence differed significantly. That year, the SAMU picked up over 26 million phone calls and registered 17.7 million regulatory files.

SMUR

In 2021, the French Mobile Emergency and Resuscitation Services (SMUR) registered 722.5 thousand dispatches. Of these dispatches, roughly 545 thousand were primary dispatches, and around 177 thousand were transfers. A "primary" dispatch refers to specialized medical care provided to one or more patients not admitted to any health facility and whose condition requires urgent medical attention and medical expertise for emergency care or resuscitation and their orientation. That year, over 148 thousand transfers were made under specialized medical supervision, while the SMUR registered over 28 thousand dispatches under nursing supervision. Nonetheless, only a fourth of ER visits in the country required ambulance or rescue and victim assistance vehicles (VSAV) in 2021. According to the distribution of ER visits by transport modes, personal transport was France's most common mode of transport to emergency services.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Statista Research Department, Jan 10, 2024

Key insights

Number of emergency services in France in 2021
567
Share of public emergency services in France 2021
75%
Number of ER visits in France in 2021
19.8M
Get more insights

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Number of patients left on stretchers at night due to lack of hospital beds in emergency services (ER) in France from December 2021 to February 2023

Hospitals

Number of patients who spent the night without a bed in ER in France 2021-2023

Distribution of emergency services visits in France in 2020, by ER sector

Hospitals

Share of visits in emergency services (ER) France 2021 by sector

Distribution of emergency services (ER) visits in France in 2021, by main diagnostic

Hospitals

Share of visits in emergency services (ER) France 2021 by diagnostic

Related topics

Recommended

5

Recommended statistics

Emergency services (ER)

4

Emergency services (ER)

ER visits

6

ER visits

SAMU

4

SAMU

SMUR

3

SMUR

Pediatric and Geriatric ER

5

Pediatric and Geriatric ER

ERs in Île de France (Paris region)

0

    ERs in Île de France (Paris region)

      Further reportsGet the best reports to understand your industry

      Hospitals worldwide
      Hospitals worldwide
      Hospitals
      Hospitals
      Smart hospitals
      Smart hospitals
      Hospitals in Europe
      Hospitals in Europe
      Hospitals in France
      Hospitals in France

      Contact

      Get in touch with us. We are happy to help.
      Statista Locations
      Contact Meredith Alda
      Meredith Alda
      Sales Manager– Contact (United States)
      Email
      support@statista.com

      Mon - Fri, 9am - 6pm (EST)

      Contact Yolanda Mega
      Yolanda Mega
      Operations Manager– Contact (Asia)
      Email
      asia.support@statista.com

      Mon - Fri, 9am - 5pm (SGT)

      Contact Kisara Mizuno
      Kisara Mizuno
      Senior Business Development Manager– Contact (Asia)
      Email
      asia.support@statista.com

      Mon - Fri, 10:00am - 6:00pm (JST)

      Contact Lodovica Biagi
      Lodovica Biagi
      Director of Operations– Contact (Europe)
      Email
      eu.support@statista.com

      Mon - Fri, 9:30am - 5pm (GMT)

      Contact Carolina Dulin
      Carolina Dulin
      Group Director - LATAM– Contact (Latin America)
      Email
      latam@statista.com

      Mon - Fri, 9am - 6pm (EST)

      Menu