More fatal falls, averaging more than 21 per day

In 2025, 7,810 people in the Netherlands died as a result of a fall. This means that someone falls, trips or slips and then dies within thirty days. That is more than in 2024.

Accidents involving mobility scooters or bicycles are not included. Most people who die from a fall are elderly. Almost 80 percent of these people were aged 80 or older.

Women in particular are increasingly dying from falls. Of those aged between 80 and 90, 60 percent were women, while among those over 90, the figure was as high as 72 percent. The average age was 83 for men and 87 for women.

More and more people are dying from falls. This is because there are more elderly people, but also because the number of fatal falls per 100,000 inhabitants is increasing. The number is rising particularly quickly among women aged 90 and over.

In 2025, twice as many women aged 90 and over died from falls as in 2016. Most fatal falls occur in winter and the fewest in summer. This difference is greatest among people over 90.

Many accidents occur in residential care homes. Of the people who died from a fall in 2024, 5,000 received care under the Long-Term Care Act. Most of these people lived in a care facility.

In 2024, 7.7 percent of deaths in care facilities were caused by falls. This information was released during Fall Prevention Week. This is a week dedicated to raising additional awareness of accidents caused by falls.