Endometriosis: Official Statistics in France

Updated October 31, 2026. Every figure in this guide comes from an official page—the Inserm report and Santé.fr fact sheets—read in full on that date and cited below with its date. Epidemiological data on endometriosis evolve: the next review is scheduled for spring 2027.

One in ten women of reproductive age, an average of five years to diagnosis, and 100% coverage available since 2022: endometriosis is often described through numbers that rarely come with sources. This guide brings together official figures available in France, with their exact origins—including figures often misquoted.

Key figures at a glance

How many women: 1 in 10, and why the figure varies

Inserm’s reference report and the Santé.fr sheet updated February 12, 2026 give the same estimate: endometriosis affects about 10% of women of reproductive age, or roughly one in ten. This is an estimate, not a count: diagnosis requires imaging or surgery, and undiagnosed women do not appear in statistics.

Why do some develop the disease while others do not? The best-documented hypothesis starts with a striking observation: 90% of women experience retrograde menstruation (blood flowing back into the abdomen during menstruation), but only 10% develop endometriosis. The difference may lie in cells’ ability to implant and cause inflammation. Identified genetic variants currently explain fewer than 10% of cases: endometriosis is not strictly a “hereditary” disease.

What French hospitalizations reveal

French hospital data compiled by Santé publique France and reported by Inserm for 2011–2017 portray a disease affecting younger women: 68.3% of hospital care episodes involve women aged 25–49, fewer than 4% women under 25—evidence that the disease is rarely detected when symptoms first appear, often during adolescence—and 27.8% women aged 50 or over, often diagnosed late or during care for another condition.

Over the same period, the risk of endometriosis-related hospital care rose by 10.4% among those aged 25–49. This does not necessarily mean more people are ill: it also reflects better recognition of the disease, supported by the national strategy launched in 2022.

Locations: a disease not confined to the ovaries

The ovaries are affected in about 50% of cases, but deep pelvic endometriosis mainly occurs elsewhere. Inserm gives the following breakdown:

This map explains the variety of symptoms—digestive, urinary and sexual—and why examining only the ovaries can miss the disease.

Fertility: the real scale of the problem

Endometriosis is one of the leading causes of female infertility in France. The key figure: 30–40% of affected women experience infertility. Specifically, the chance of conception per cycle falls to 2–10% for affected women, versus 25–30% for a fertile couple. Over three years, 36% of couples where the woman has endometriosis conceive naturally, compared with 55% of couples with unexplained infertility. These averages conceal very different situations depending on lesion location and depth.

Pregnancy: higher risks, kept in perspective

French cohort data cited by Inserm show that affected women have about a 30% higher miscarriage risk—up to three times higher with associated adenomyosis—a risk of cesarean delivery roughly twice as high, and a 30% increase in the risk of newborn hospitalization. These are relative increases calculated across large populations: most pregnancies proceed without complications, and these figures call for monitoring, not constant worry.

Cancer: the trap of relative risks

The most frequently cited—and misquoted—figure concerns ovarian cancer. Relative risk is indeed doubled in women with endometriosis. But absolute risk rises from 1.3% (general population) to 2.5%: in other words, 97.5% of affected women will not develop this cancer. Other measured associations: breast cancer risk about 4% higher, thyroid cancer 39% higher, and cervical cancer risk 32% lower. No association has been established with colorectal cancer.

A long-overlooked cardiovascular risk

Less well known: an analysis of six cohorts totaling 254,929 women found among affected women a 50% higher risk of ischemic heart disease and a 17% higher risk of cerebrovascular disease. Chronic inflammation associated with the disease is the leading hypothesis. These findings from the France 2030-funded Epi-Endo consortium are only beginning to influence care pathways.

Time to diagnosis: from 7 years to 5

For years, the official figure was a delay of “about 7 years” between first symptoms and diagnosis—still stated on the Santé.fr page published in October 2023. The newer Santé.fr page, dated August 13, 2026, now reports diagnosis “on average five years after the first symptoms”. The shortening is real and partly explained by a well-documented phenomenon: contraceptive pills mask symptoms, and the disease is discovered only after stopping them.

Two French advances cited by Inserm: the Endotest saliva test, analyzing 109 microRNAs and detecting the disease in 96% of cases with a 5% error rate—available through early access since 2025—and DEVA AI developed in Poissy, achieving 98% specificity in 18–45-year-olds.

ALD 31: what French health insurance reimburses

Since 2022, endometriosis has qualified for a dedicated long-term condition designation, ALD 31. According to the official Santé.fr sheet, this means 100% reimbursement of disease-related care without upfront payment; waiver of waiting days from the second disease-related sick leave during a three-year period; and coverage of transport costs when prescribed. Excluded are complementary therapies (osteopathy, acupuncture, etc.) and fees exceeding official rates.

French research in figures

The national endometriosis strategy launched in 2022 has three pillars, from care to research. The participatory ComPaRe-Endométriose cohort now follows about 10,000 participants. The Epi-Endo consortium links six major French cohorts (Constances, E3N, NutriNet-Santé, EDEN, PELAGIE, Elfe) to investigate environmental causes. Regional services are also being organized: around ten networks (AFENA, Endo IDF, EndoSud, etc.) connect general practitioners with specialist centers.

Our monitoring method

This guide relies exclusively on official sources: the Inserm endometriosis report and Santé.fr fact sheets, each read in full on October 31, 2026, without intermediary websites. We review the entire guide whenever these sources publish updates, and at least twice a year. Where official sources disagree—as with diagnostic delays—we present both figures and their dates.

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Official sources

• Inserm “Endometriosis” report: inserm.fr/dossier/endometriose, reviewed in full October 31, 2026.
• Santé.fr “Endometriosis” sheet: sante.fr/endometriose, updated February 12, 2026; read October 31, 2026.
• “Endometriosis: causes, symptoms, progression and treatments,” Santé.fr: sante.fr/endometriose-causes-symptomes-evolution-et-traitements, published August 13, 2026; read October 31, 2026.
• “Diagnosing endometriosis,” Santé.fr: sante.fr/endometriose/le-diagnostic-de-lendometriose-0, published October 5, 2023; read October 31, 2026.
• “Applying for ALD 31,” Santé.fr: sante.fr/endometriose/la-demande-dadmission-en-ald-31-…, published March 1^st, 2024; read October 31, 2026.

Last verification of all figures: October 31, 2026. Next review in spring 2027, or whenever new official data are published.

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