Introduction: In 2004, the prevalence of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in mainland France was estimated at 0.53% (95% CI: [0.40–0.70]). The objective of this study was to update the estimate of HCV prevalence (anti-HCV antibodies (Ab) and HCV RNA) in the general metropolitan population in 2011, prior to the introduction of new HCV therapies. Methods: The population of metropolitan France was divided into five subgroups (injecting and non-injecting drug users, individuals who received blood transfusions before 1992, immigrants, and the remainder of the population) for which prevalence data were scaled to the size of these populations, allowing for the calculation of an overall prevalence (direct method). Estimates were produced using a Bayesian method. The medians of the distributions obtained are presented with a 95% credibility interval (CI). Results: In 2011, the prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies was estimated at 0.75% (95% CI: [0.62–0.92]), corresponding to 344,500 people infected with HCV (95% CI: [287,373–423,549]). The prevalence of HCV RNA was estimated at 0.42% (95% CI: [0.33–0.53]), corresponding to 192,700 people with chronic infection (95% CI: [150,935–246,055]). Conclusion: In the absence of a prevalence survey in the general metropolitan population, the direct method allowed for the estimation of the prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies and HCV RNA in 2011, which have been trending downward since 2004. These estimates for 2011 serve as a baseline for the prevalence of chronic HCV infection in France prior to the introduction of new treatments. They will be useful for measuring the impact of new anti-HCV therapies.