Road deaths in the European Union fell for a second consecutive year in 2024, with Cyprus recording a fatality rate below the EU average, according to figures published by Eurostat on Monday.
A total of 19,934 people lost their lives on EU roads in 2024, down from 20,384 in 2023. The decrease represents a 2.2% annual fall.
In Cyprus, the rate stood at 42 deaths per million inhabitants, below the EU average of 44.
Sweden recorded the lowest fatality rate, with 20 deaths per million inhabitants, followed by Malta with 21 and Denmark with 24. The highest rates were recorded in Romania, with 78 deaths per million, Bulgaria with 74 and Greece with 64.
Over the past decade, road deaths across the EU have fallen by 17.4%, according to Eurostat. The overall trend has been downward since 2014, although increases were recorded in 2015, 2021 and 2022, the latter following the unusually low figures seen in 2020 during pandemic restrictions.
At regional level, the highest number of road accidents in 2024 was recorded in parts of Germany, Italy and Spain. North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany reported 62,741 accidents, followed by Bavaria with 49,374 and North-West Italy with 48,815.
Source: CNA