On 1 January 2021, there were 9.4 million children under 12 in France, representing 14% of the population. Their current state of health, and their care covered by the health system, will be one of the main determinants of the state of health of future generations of adults, and therefore of health expenditure. Although children’s state of health is difficult to characterise with precision, France ranks in the middle of comparable countries. However, the overall improvement observed hides marked social inequalities from an early age. In addition, public spending on prevention and the provision of care for children appears limited. In 2019, it represented just about 4.5% of national health insurance expenditure, i.e. €8.9 billion. In the report published today, the Court of Accounts points out that there is room for manoeuvre to assist prevention and the promotion of children’s health.
