BACKGROUND: An increase in suicidal ideation rates following COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 has been reported. However, variations in suicidal ideation may differ between age groups and the risk factors explaining these variations are still unclear. OBJECTIVE: The main objective of this study was to estimate the variation in the rates of suicidal ideation in the French adult general population from 2010 to 2023 and to identify the associated sociodemographic and clinical risk factors. METHODS: We examined data from the Health Barometer run by Public Health France, a repeated cross-sectional survey on a French national representative adult sample. We assessed changes in the 12-month rates of self-reported suicidal ideation in adults across six independent surveys conducted between 2010 and 2023, and related risk factors. FINDINGS: Over 14 years, 99,378 people were interviewed. Overall, there was a significant increase in suicidal ideation from 4.0 % in 2010 to 6.7 % in 2023 (p < 0.001). In 18-24-year-olds, an increase since 2014 exacerbated in 2020, while in other age groups, a slow decrease since 2014-2017 followed by an increase between 2021 and 2023. In multivariate analyses, major depressive episode (adjusted Odd Ratio = 8.9, 95 % Confidence Interval (8.0-10.0)) was the main factor associated with suicidal ideation. CONCLUSION: Younger adults have been affected by increasing rates of suicidal ideation and depression since the mid-2010s. This may explain the rapid impact of COVID-19 pandemic in this age group while this impact was delayed in other age groups.