The number of people who died after an accidental fall in the Netherlands rose again last year, to 7,810 – an average of 21 per day – according to new figures from national statistics office CBS.
The figure is 480 more than in 2024, and falls are the most common non-natural cause of death in the Netherlands, CBS said.
The numbers cover people who trip, slip or fall and die within 30 days. Falls involving a vehicle, such as a bike or mobility scooter, are counted as traffic accidents and are not included.
Most victims are elderly: 79% were 80 or older and just 2% were under 60. Women accounted for 60% of deaths among people in their eighties and 72% among the over-90s.
The rise is not only down to the ageing population. Even when adjusted for age and population growth, the death rate from falls has gone up every year for the past 15 years. The CBS reported a similar increase two years ago.
The sharpest rise is among women aged 90 and over. In 2025, 2.1% of all women in that age group died after a fall, compared with 1% in 2016.
More fatal falls happen in winter than in summer – over the past five years, 28% of fatal falls among men and 27% among women took place in winter, compared with 22% and 23% in summer.
Of the 7,330 people who died after a fall in 2024, some 5,000 were receiving long-term care, most of them living in care institutions. Falls caused 7.7% of all deaths in care institutions that year.
The figures were published to coincide with fall prevention week, run by the health ministry and safety organisation VeiligheidNL.
