The number of people killed on European Union roads last year fell by 3% compared to the previous year, to around 19,400, according to new data from the European Commission.
While the Commission welcomed the drop in road fatalities, most member states are not yet on track to meet the EU’s goal of halving road deaths and serious injuries by 2030, it noted.
On a country by country basis, Estonia recorded the largest drop in fatalities between 2024 and 2025, at 38%, followed by Greece with a 22% reduction.
Sweden and Denmark, meanwhile, continue to have the safest roads, with just 20 and 23 deaths per million inhabitants respectively.
Based on the Commission’s data Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Poland and Romania are currently on track to meet the EU’s 2030 reduction target. However, other countries, such as Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia still report some of the highest road fatality rates in the EU.
Rural roads remain the most dangerous, the data showed, accounting for more than half (53%) of fatalities, compared with 38% in urban areas and 8% on motorways.
Within cities, vulnerable road users – including pedestrians, cyclists and users of powered two-wheelers and personal mobility devices – make up 70% of deaths.
Men account for the majority of road fatalities (77%), while both young adults aged 18 to 24 and older people over 65 are disproportionately affected.
Car occupants represent the largest share of deaths at 44%, followed by motorcyclists (21%), pedestrians (18%) and cyclists (9%). Fatalities involving personal mobility devices, such as e-scooters, have also risen in recent years.
“Road safety is a shared responsibility,” commented Apostolos Tzitzikostas, Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism. “The steady reduction in road deaths across the EU shows that our joint efforts are making a difference. But every life lost on our roads last year is one too many.
“We must step up our work with Member States, industry and road users to make our roads safer and keep Europe firmly on track towards our goal of zero road deaths by 2050.” Read more here.
| Country | 2025 | 2024 | % Change vs 2024 | % Change vs 2019 | % Change vs 2017–19 Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EU | 43 | 45 | -3% | -15% | -16% |
| Bulgaria | 71 | 74 | -5% | -27% | -29% |
| Czechia | 43 | 45 | -4% | -23% | -23% |
| Denmark | 23 | 24 | -6% | -32% | -25% |
| Germany | 34 | 33 | 2% | -8% | -11% |
| Estonia | 31 | 50 | -38% | -17% | -23% |
| Ireland | 34 | 32 | 7% | 31% | 28% |
| Greece | 50 | 64 | -22% | -25% | -27% |
| Spain | 36 | 37 | 0% | 1% | -1% |
| France | 49 | 48 | 2% | 1% | -1% |
| Croatia | 67 | 62 | 9% | -12% | -17% |
| Italy | 49 | 51 | -4% | -9% | -12% |
| Cyprus | 46 | 42 | 10% | -13% | -12% |
| Latvia | 63 | 60 | 5% | -11% | -15% |
| Lithuania | 48 | 43 | 12% | -25% | -24% |
| Luxembourg | n/a | 27 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Hungary | 48 | 52 | -8% | -24% | -26% |
| Malta | 37 | 21 | 75% | 31% | 19% |
| Netherlands | 35 | 32 | 13% | 9% | 12% |
| Austria | 43 | 38 | 13% | -5% | -4% |
| Poland | 45 | 52 | -12% | -43% | -42% |
| Portugal | 55 | 58 | -5% | -14% | -11% |
| Romania | 68 | 78 | -12% | -30% | -32% |
| Slovenia | 44 | 32 | 37% | -9% | -6% |
| Slovakia | 42 | 48 | -13% | -16% | -15% |
| Finland | 33 | 32 | 1% | -15% | -22% |
| Sweden | 20 | 20 | -2% | -6% | -22% |
| Switzerland | 24 | 28 | -14% | 14% | -1% |
| Norway | 20 | 16 | 28% | 3% | 3% |
| Iceland | 21 | 33 | -23% | 67% | -25% |
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