BRUSSELS, 27th October, 2026 (WAM) -- Today, the European Commission released the final figures on road fatalities for 2025, reporting 19,350 deaths due to road crashes. This represents a 3% decrease from 2024 and a 15% decrease from 2019, equivalent to 580 fewer deaths on European roads compared to 2024, and 3,400 fewer deaths compared to 2019.
Results (fatalities per million) confirm that Sweden (19 per million) and Denmark (24 per million) have the safest roads in the EU. Despite their progress since 2019, Bulgaria (71 per million), and Romania (68 per million), alongside Croatia (65 per million), continue to report the highest fatality rates in the EU.
Provisional data for 2026 shows a positive trend with a higher number of countries reporting a reduction of fatalities above 5% in the first half of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025 than those reporting increases in road deaths. The Commission will continue to monitor these trends closely and support Member States in addressing emerging concerns.
Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, said: “Road safety is about more than rules and regulations. It is about protecting lives and preventing tragedies that affect families and communities across Europe. In the European Union, every life lost on our roads is one too many.
Our goal is clear: to ensure that every citizen, wherever they travel and whatever their mode of transport, can reach their destination. This means making our roads safer, strengthening prevention and ensuring that every journey ends safely.”
The 2026 EU Road Safety Conference will take place on 23 November, in Brussels, marking the halfway point in Europe's 10-year strategy to halve road deaths and serious injuries by 2030. Winners of the 2026 Excellence in Road Safety Awards, celebrating the continent's most inspiring and impactful road safety initiatives, will be announced during the event.