OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence and the quality of life of subjects suffering from inflammatory dermatitis (ID) (psoriasis, eczema, atopic dermatitis and urticaria) in the French population of adults 18 years of age or older. METHODS: A population-based survey was conducted among 10 000 adults through personal face to face interviews by using the quota sampling method (applied on age, sex, economic working class and woman working status). The screening was made by asking the subjects if they have suffered from one of the 4 ID in the past 12 months or if they have been treated by at least one inflammatory dermatitis specific treatment from a pre-defined list. Subjects answering positively to one of these questions was considered as a "ID subject". The quality of life was assessed by using the SF-36 questionnaire among the ID subjects and a randomly selected control group of subjects not suffering from ID (520 persons). RESULTS: The population surveyed was representative of the French population in terms of age, sex, and geographic living area. Patients suffering from ID were similar to the control group in terms of age, sex, and geographic living area. The annual prevalence of ID was estimated: 8.8%, IC95% = [7.8%; 9.8%]. The SF-36 score of mental health was significantly lower in the ID population: 45.8 versus 48.0 in the control group (p <0,001). The SF-36 score of physical health was not significantly different. CONCLUSION: The annual prevalence of inflammatory dermatitis is estimated at 9% in French adult population. People suffering from inflammatory dermatitis have a significant impact on the mental health dimension of quality of life but not on physical dimension.