OBJECTIVES: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a necessary cause of cervical cancer and is associated with a subset of other anogenital (anal, vulvar, vaginal, penile) and head/neck cancers (oral cavity, oropharynx/pharynx, larynx). The overall HPV-related disease burden is considerable in Europe. This study aimed to assess the hospital costs of HPV-related cancers for both genders in France.  METHODS: Hospitalisation costs were collected from a recent publication for cervical cancer and from the French national hospital database (PMSI) for other cancers. Costs included hospital stays, radiotherapy and chemotherapy sessions. Annual costs for each cancer were estimated from the healthcare payers' perspective.  RESULTS: In 2006, the annual costs of cervical cancer were estimated at €43.9 million. In addition, vulvar and vaginal cancers were associated with €9.7 million annually. For anal cancer, the annual costs were €20.3 million (male: €6.3 million; female: €14 million). Penile cancer hospitalisations represented €2.6 million annually. The estimated annual costs for head/neck cancers in 2007 for males and females respectively, were €54.4 and €17.1 million for oral cavity, €128.2 and €21.7 million for oropharynx/pharynx, and €47.8 and €5.5 million for larynx. Considering the assumed proportion of cancers attributable to HPV (cervical: 100%; vulvar: 34.7%; vaginal 76.8%; anal: 84.2%; penile: 46.7%; oral cavity: 16.0%; oropharynx: 28.2%; larynx: 21.3%, in Europe), the overall hospitalisation costs due to HPV-related cancers were estimated at €61.6 million in males and €70.8 million in females.  CONCLUSIONS: The hospital burden of HPV-associated cancers in males is almost similar as in females, in France. This burden is probably underestimated since outpatient and indirect costs were not included.