In 2023, 20,380 people lost their lives on EU roads – 1.3% less than in 2022 – according to the latest data published by Eurostat.
This is another year in a row in which the number of road fatalities has been decreasing, although it has not yet returned to the lowest level of 2020 (18,830 victims). The decrease in 2020 was the result of mobility restrictions introduced due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which significantly affected passenger traffic. In the following years (2021 and 2022), the number of victims increased, but did not reach the pre-pandemic level.
On average, there were 46 road fatalities per million inhabitants of the EU in 2023. However, these rates vary significantly between countries. The safest countries in terms of road fatalities were Sweden (22 victims per million inhabitants), Denmark (27) and Malta (30). At the other end of the spectrum were Bulgaria and Romania, with 81 victims, and Latvia with 75.
While the data indicates an improvement in road safety, the figures still show how much remains to be done to achieve the EU goal of zero road fatalities by 2050.
