A survey was carried out in France in 1999 in a Densely Populated Pig Area (DPPA) and a Sparsely Populated Pig Area (SPPA) from which 80 and 55 pig farms were respectively investigated. The two areas were compared regarding the number of respiratory disease outbreaks in fattening pigs on each farm per year with a multiple correspondence analysis and hierarchical clustering. The two areas exhibited different typologies: in the DPPA, high density was associated with a high proportion of finishing-pig units resulting in much moving of piglets within the area. Farrow-to-finish farms located in the DPPA had many contacts with external vehicles; this was associated with more than two respiratory disease outbreaks per farm per year. There also was a lack of biosecurity measures implemented on these farms. Conversely, the good health situation of the farms located in the SPPA was associated with few external contacts and good biosecurity measures. In a second step, risk factors for the occurrence of more than 2 respiratory outbreaks per year were studied. Having more than 4 pig farms within a 2 km radius area, more than 30 incoming rendering trucks per year, and storage of the carcasses of dead animals within the farm yard perimeter increased the risk of occurrence of more than 2 respiratory disease outbreaks per year on the farm. This risk was also increased when there were more than 2 animal-transport lorries entering the farm per month and more than 1 veterinarian's or technician's vehicle coming in every 2 months. These results were discussed because of possible bias due to the retrospective design of the survey and the sampling scheme (randomisation within two areas).