OBJECTIVES To estimate the cumulative incidence and hospital cost for venous and pulmonary thromboembolic events in a real world setting in France. METHODS We conducted a retrospective analysis of the EGB database, a 1/97th random sample of the whole National health insurance database records linked to hospitalizations. All patients hospitalized in 2010 and 2011 with a diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE) were included. Inpatients were identified through principal diagnosis of hospitalization stay. Outpatients with a DVT were identified by 1) an echo Doppler exam, 2) preceded or followed by a low molecular weight heparin or fondaparinux delivery (+/-7 days), and 3) a subsequent Vitamin K antagonists delivery (0 to 7 days). Incidences and annual hospital cost of DVT and PE were estimated and extrapolated to the overall French population, and cumulative proportions of recurrences were calculated. RESULTS For 2011, the estimated crude incidences were 141/100,000 (91,650 patients) for DVT, and 79.4/100,000 for PE (51,610 patients in France). Mean age of patients was 67.0+/-17.2 years for PE and 64.1+/-17.7 years for DVT. A majority of patients were females (57% in both groups). After index event (PE/DVT), the cumulative proportions of venous thromboembolic recurrences were 2.6% at 1 month, 3.7% at 3 months, 5.1% at 6 months and 6.7% at 12 months. The cumulative proportions of death after a PE and a DVT first event were 0.2% at 1 month, 1.1% at 3 months, 2.6% at 6 months and 6.2% at 12 months. Annual hospital cost of venous and pulmonary thromboembolic events was estimated at 712 million € (362 million € for DVT and 350 million € for PE). CONCLUSIONS In 2011, around 143,000 patients suffered from venous and pulmonary thromboembolic events in France. Hospitalized events accounted for an important burden in France.