Where Data Tells the Story
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Around 1.3 million people die from road injuries across the world every year. That includes the deaths of drivers, passengers, and pedestrians.
That’s around 2.4% of deaths from all causes.
As the chart shows, this death toll has been similar for decades, in the range of 1.25 to 1.35 million deaths each year.
However, with a larger global population and many more cars on the road, this means the death rate from road injuries — the number of deaths per 100,000 people — has fallen.
Global road deaths have remained persistently high for decades
Annual deaths from road injuries stayed within a relatively narrow range of roughly 1.25–1.35 million deaths per yearbetween 1980 and 2023, despite major advances in vehicle safety and infrastructure.
Pedestrians remain the single largest group of victims
Throughout the entire period, pedestrians accounted for the largest share of road deaths, although fatalities declined from about 560,000 in 1990 to around 400,000 in 2023.
Motorcyclist deaths have risen significantly over time
Deaths among motorcyclists more than doubled from approximately 120,000 in 1980 to 310,000 in 2023, reflecting the growing use of motorcycles globally, especially in rapidly urbanizing countries.