Road Deaths in the EU Are Highest in Romania and Bulgaria

Key Takeaways

• Romania (7.8 deaths per 100,000 people) and Bulgaria (7.4) had the EU’s highest road death rates in 2024.
• France (3,181 deaths), Italy (3,030), and Germany (2,770) recorded the EU’s three highest raw death counts in 2024. Population size drives this, not more dangerous roads.
• Sweden (2.0 per 100,000) and Denmark (2.4) had the EU’s lowest road death rates in 2024, in line with the bloc’s Vision Zero safety target.
• The EU’s road death rate fell 65% between 2000 and 2024. It dropped from 12.5 to 4.4 deaths per 100,000 people.
• That progress has slowed. EU deaths fell just 12% between 2019 and 2024. Most member states are not on track to meet the EU’s 2030 target of halving deaths again.
• Germany’s road deaths rose to 2,832 in 2025 from 2,770 in 2024. Speeding was a factor in about 29% of those deaths. It is the leading cause of fatal crashes.

Road Fatality Rates Across EU Countries

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France recorded 3,181 road deaths in 2024. It is the highest total in the EU. Italy followed at 3,030, then Germany, which recorded 2,770 deaths. By raw numbers alone, these three look like the EU’s most dangerous countries to drive in.

France, Italy, and Germany are not the EU’s most dangerous countries to drive in. Population size explains most of the gap. All three are among the EU’s most populous countries. More people generate more deaths, regardless of how safe the roads are. The number that actually measures danger is the death rate. It counts fatalities per 100,000 residents, adjusted for population size.

By that measure, Germany ranks among the safer half of the EU. Its rate is 3.3 deaths per 100,000 people. Italy’s rate is 5.1. That is still above the EU average of 4.4. Romania and Bulgaria top the EU’s rate ranking instead. Their rates are 7.8 and 7.4 deaths per 100,000 people.

Romania, Bulgaria, and Croatia Have the EU’s Highest Road Death Rates

Three more countries recorded rates above 6 deaths per 100,000 in 2024:

• Greece: 6.4
• Croatia: 6.2
• Latvia: 6.0

Preliminary 2025 data keep this cluster in place. Romania, Bulgaria, and Croatia again reported the EU’s highest rates. Romania’s rate fell to 6.8 per 100,000 from 7.8 the year before.

Sweden and Denmark Have the EU’s Lowest Road Death Rates

Four countries recorded death rates below 3 per 100,000 in 2024:

• Sweden: 2.0
• Malta: 2.1
• Denmark: 2.4
• Luxembourg: 2.7

Sweden and Denmark’s low rates align with Vision Zero. It is the EU-wide safety approach adopted in 2018 that targets zero road deaths by 2050. Malta and Luxembourg are small countries. A handful of additional deaths can swing their rates sharply from one year to the next.

The EU’s Road Death Rate Has Fallen by Two-Thirds Since 2000

The EU’s road death rate fell from 12.5 per 100,000 people in 2000 to 4.4 in 2024. That is a 65% decline. In raw numbers, deaths fell from 53,482 to 19,934 over the same period.

That progress has slowed recently. EU deaths fell just 12% between 2019 and 2024. The EU set a target in 2018 to halve road deaths and serious injuries by 2030. It is also working toward zero deaths by 2050. Most member states are not currently on track to meet the 2030 target.

Preliminary data for 2025 show continued but modest progress. The EU recorded around 19,400 deaths that year. That is a 3% drop from 2024.

Germany’s Road Deaths Rose in 2025 Even as the EU Kept Improving

Germany recorded 2,832 road deaths in 2025. It went up from 2,770 in 2024. That increase came even as the EU-wide rate kept falling.

Speeding was the leading cause. It was a factor in 812 of Germany’s 2025 road deaths. The cause made up about 29% of the total. The share was highest on motorways, where speeding factored into 42% of deaths. On rural roads, the share was 34%. In urban areas, it was 16%.

The raw numbers point to France, Italy, and Germany. The rates point to Romania and Bulgaria. Only the rate answers the question of where roads are actually most dangerous. By that measure, Eastern and Southern Europe remain furthest from the EU’s Vision Zero target. Germany’s own 2025 increase shows that even a country with one of the EU’s lower rates is not immune to setbacks. Speeding remains one of the enforcement priorities under the EU’s road safety framework. It is the leading cause of death in Germany in 2025. It