Overview

• New CBS figures show 7,300 people died after accidental falls in 2024, up 5% year over year, making falls the leading non‑natural cause of death.
• VeiligheidNL estimates emergency departments treated about 119,000 people aged 65 and over after a fall last year, roughly one older patient every four minutes.
• Fatalities are concentrated among the oldest groups, with women the majority from age 80 upward, and injuries often involve hip fractures (56%) or head trauma (21%).
• Around 5,000 of those who died were receiving long‑term care under the Wlz, and 85% of them lived in care institutions, underscoring heightened risk in institutional settings.
• Regional analyses point to higher risks in Groningen, Drenthe and municipalities such as Ridderkerk, while Valpreventieweek highlights prevention through risk checks and programmes like In Balans.