1. Age- and sex-dependent survival rates of European hare, Lepus europaeus, were estimated for a declining population living in intensive large-scale farming conditions in northeastern France. During the period 1990-92, a capture-mark-recapture design was used to obtain robust survival rate estimations. 2. The best fit was obtained with survival rates estimated separately for adults and yearlings. Sex dependence was added only in yearlings (φmale yearling=0·471, φfemale yearling=0·237, φadult=0·507 whatever the sex). 3. These estimates and fecundity data obtained from hunting bag analysis and the literature were incorporated into a Leslie Matrix model in order to determine the sensitivity of the population growth rate (λ) to variations of the different demographic parameters. 4. Contrary to that of a population with a higher annual recruitment, the growth rate of the population studied (λ = 0·80), whose annual recruitment was weak, was more sensitive to maintenance than to recruitment variations.