Road Safety Worldwide: List of countries by traffic-related death rate
Understanding road safety is crucial for any traveler or driver. According to the latest World Health Organization (WHO) reports, road traffic injuries remain a leading cause of death globally, resulting in an estimated 1.28 million fatalities per year.
While the global average stands at 15 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, there is a massive disparity between regions. Over 90% of these fatalities occur in low- and middle-income countries, where infrastructure and emergency services are often under strain.
Global Road Fatality Statistics
The following table provides a comprehensive breakdown of road safety data by country, including mortality rates per capita and per vehicle-kilometer where available.
| Country / Region | Continent | Deaths per 100k | Total Fatalities | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Global Average | - | 15.0 | 1,282,150 | 2021 |
| Afghanistan | Asia | 24.1 | 9,684 | 2021 |
| Albania | Europe | 10.8 | 309 | 2021 |
| Algeria | Africa | 18.3 | 8,106 | 2021 |
| Andorra | Europe | 2.5 | 2 | 2021 |
| Angola | Africa | 15.0 | 5,188 | 2021 |
| Antigua and Barbuda | North America | 7.5 | 7 | 2021 |
| Argentina | South America | 8.8 | 3,983 | 2021 |
| Armenia | Asia | 13.6 | 379 | 2021 |
| Australia | Oceania | 4.5 | 1,180 | 2022 |
| Austria | Europe | 4.1 | 379 | 2022 |
| Azerbaijan | Asia | 17.2 | 1,769 | 2021 |
| Bahamas | North America | 16.2 | 66 | 2021 |
| Bahrain | Asia | 8.1 | 118 | 2021 |
| Bangladesh | Asia | 18.6 | 31,578 | 2021 |
| Barbados | North America | 10.0 | 28 | 2021 |
| Belarus | Europe | 7.4 | 706 | 2021 |
| Belgium | Europe | 4.6 | 540 | 2022 |
| Belize | North America | 17.5 | 70 | 2021 |
| Benin | Africa | 24.8 | 3,225 | 2021 |
| Bhutan | Asia | 12.2 | 95 | 2021 |
| Bolivia | South America | 17.6 | 2,127 | 2021 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Europe | 13.7 | 447 | 2021 |
| Botswana | Africa | 16.5 | 426 | 2021 |
| Brazil | South America | 15.7 | 33,586 | 2021 |
| Brunei | Asia | 3.6 | 16 | 2021 |
| Bulgaria | Europe | 8.4 | 578 | 2021 |
| Burkina Faso | Africa | 27.8 | 6,137 | 2021 |
| Burundi | Africa | 12.3 | 1,546 | 2021 |
| Cambodia | Asia | 18.8 | 3,113 | 2021 |
| Cameroon | Africa | 10.6 | 2,870 | 2021 |
| Canada | North America | 4.7 | 1,805 | 2021 |
| Cape Verde | Africa | 16.5 | 97 | 2021 |
| Central African Republic | Africa | 25.9 | 1,412 | 2021 |
| Chad | Africa | 26.4 | 4,533 | 2021 |
| Chile | South America | 7.7 | 1,439 | 2024 |
| China | Asia | 17.4 | 248,099 | 2021 |
| Colombia | South America | 15.5 | 8,030 | 2022 |
| Comoros | Africa | 26.6 | 226 | 2019 |
| Congo | Africa | 29.7 | 1,598 | 2019 |
| Cook Islands | Oceania | 17.6 | 3 | 2021 |
| Costa Rica | North America | 15.5 | 798 | 2021 |
| Croatia | Europe | 8.1 | 328 | 2021 |
| Cuba | North America | 5.4 | 613 | 2021 |
| Cyprus | Europe | 3.9 | 49 | 2021 |
| Czech Republic | Europe | 4.1 | 438 | 2024 |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | Africa | 34.9 | 30,256 | 2019 |
| Denmark | Europe | 2.6 | 154 | 2022 |
| Djibouti | Africa | 13.5 | 229 | 2019 |
| Dominica | North America | 11.0 | 8 | 2021 |
| Dominican Republic | North America | 27.5 | 2,921 | 2022 |
| Ecuador | South America | 23.4 | 4,173 | 2021 |
| Egypt | Africa | 10.1 | 10,141 | 2019 |
| El Salvador | North America | 21.5 | 1,358 | 2021 |
| Equatorial Guinea | Africa | 11.7 | 192 | 2021 |
| Eritrea | Africa | 37.9 | 1,326 | 2019 |
| Estonia | Europe | 4.5 | 59 | 2019 |
| Eswatini | Africa | 24.7 | 295 | 2021 |
| Ethiopia | Africa | 28.2 | 31,564 | 2019 |
| Fiji | Oceania | 13.5 | 120 | 2019 |
| Finland | Europe | 3.4 | 189 | 2022 |
| France | Europe | 4.9 | 3,267 | 2022 |
| Gabon | Africa | 12.5 | 293 | 2021 |
| Gambia | Africa | 29.6 | 695 | 2019 |
| Georgia | - | 12.4 | 496 | 2019 |
| Germany | Europe | 3.3 | 2,788 | 2022 |
| Ghana | Africa | 25.7 | 7,808 | 2019 |
| Greece | Europe | 6.1 | 641 | 2022 |
| Grenada | North America | 6.4 | 8 | 2021 |
| Guatemala | North America | 12.6 | 2,221 | 2021 |
| Guinea | Africa | 29.7 | 3,788 | 2019 |
| Guinea-Bissau | Africa | 32.2 | 619 | 2019 |
| Guyana | South America | 15.2 | 122 | 2021 |
| Honduras | North America | 18.5 | 1,904 | 2021 |
| Hungary | Europe | 5.5 | 536 | 2022 |
| Iceland | Europe | 2.3 | 9 | 2022 |
| India | Asia | 12.6 | 172,000 | 2023 |
| Indonesia | Asia | 11.3 | 30,668 | 2019 |
| Iran | Asia | 21.5 | 17,803 | 2019 |
| Iraq | Asia | 27.3 | 10,726 | 2019 |
| Ireland | Europe | 3.0 | 155 | 2022 |
| Israel | Asia | 3.6 | 351 | 2022 |
| Italy | Europe | 5.3 | 3,159 | 2022 |
| Ivory Coast | Africa | 24.1 | 6,202 | 2019 |
| Jamaica | North America | 17.8 | 502 | 2021 |
| Japan | Asia | 2.1 | 2,678 | 2023 |
| Jordan | Asia | 13.6 | 1,514 | 2021 |
| Kazakhstan | Asia | 12.7 | 2,352 | 2019 |
| Kenya | Africa | 8.2 | 4,386 | 2023 |
| Kiribati | Oceania | 6.2 | 8 | 2021 |
| Kuwait | Asia | 15.4 | 649 | 2019 |
| Kyrgyzstan | Asia | 12.7 | 812 | 2019 |
| Laos | Asia | 17.9 | 1,281 | 2019 |
| Latvia | Europe | 9.8 | 183 | 2021 |
| Lebanon | Asia | 16.4 | 1,127 | 2019 |
| Lesotho | Africa | 31.9 | 678 | 2019 |
| Liberia | Africa | 38.9 | 1,920 | 2019 |
| Libya | Africa | 21.3 | 1,444 | 2019 |
| Lithuania | Europe | 4.2 | 120 | 2022 |
| Luxembourg | Europe | 5.5 | 36 | 2022 |
| Madagascar | Africa | 29.2 | 7,880 | 2019 |
| Malawi | Africa | 33.4 | 6,221 | 2019 |
| Malaysia | Asia | 13.9 | 4,680 | 2021 |
| Maldives | Asia | 1.6 | 9 | 2019 |
| Mali | Africa | 22.7 | 4,465 | 2019 |
| Malta | Europe | 4.1 | 18 | 2019 |
| Marshall Islands | Oceania | 11.9 | 5 | 2021 |
| Mauritania | Africa | 25.6 | 1,158 | 2019 |
| Mauritius | Africa | 12.2 | 155 | 2019 |
| Mexico | North America | 12.0 | 15,267 | 2021 |
| Micronesia | Oceania | 14.1 | 16 | 2021 |
| Moldova | Europe | 8.1 | 197 | 2023 |
| Monaco | Europe | 0.0 | 0 | 2021 |
| Mongolia | Asia | 21.0 | 679 | 2019 |
| Montenegro | Europe | 9.1 | 57 | 2021 |
| Morocco | Africa | 17.0 | 6,185 | 2019 |
| Mozambique | Africa | 30.0 | 9,117 | 2019 |
| Myanmar | Asia | 20.4 | 11,004 | 2019 |
| Namibia | Africa | 34.8 | 868 | 2019 |
| Nepal | Asia | 16.3 | 4,654 | 2019 |
| Netherlands | Europe | 4.1 | 737 | 2022 |
| New Zealand | Oceania | 7.3 | 375 | 2022 |
| Nicaragua | North America | 13.6 | 932 | 2021 |
| Niger | Africa | 25.5 | 5,946 | 2019 |
| Nigeria | Africa | 20.7 | 41,693 | 2019 |
| North Korea | Asia | 24.2 | 6,210 | 2019 |
| North Macedonia | Europe | 5.1 | 107 | 2019 |
| Norway | Europe | 2.1 | 116 | 2022 |
| Oman | Asia | 11.0 | 497 | 2021 |
| Pakistan | Asia | 13.0 | 28,170 | 2019 |
| Palau | Oceania | 22.2 | 4 | 2021 |
| Panama | North America | 7.3 | 316 | 2021 |
| Papua New Guinea | Oceania | 12.6 | 1,105 | 2019 |
| Paraguay | South America | 21.0 | 1,405 | 2021 |
| Peru | South America | 12.7 | 4,284 | 2021 |
| Philippines | Asia | 12.0 | 13,017 | 2019 |
| Poland | Europe | 5.0 | 1,896 | 2022 |
| Portugal | Europe | 4.4 | 462 | 2022 |
| Qatar | Asia | 7.3 | 206 | 2019 |
| Romania | Europe | 9.6 | 1,856 | 2021 |
| Russia | Europe | 10.6 | 15,335 | 2021 |
| Rwanda | Africa | 11.6 | 1,563 | 2021 |
| Saint Lucia | North America | 8.9 | 16 | 2021 |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | North America | 4.8 | 5 | 2021 |
| Samoa | Oceania | 13.0 | 26 | 2019 |
| San Marino | Europe | 5.9 | 2 | 2021 |
| São Tomé and Príncipe | Africa | 11.7 | 26 | 2021 |
| Saudi Arabia | Asia | 18.5 | 6,651 | 2021 |
| Senegal | Africa | 23.4 | 3,832 | 2019 |
| Serbia | Europe | 7.4 | 537 | 2021 |
| Seychelles | Africa | 11.3 | 11 | 2019 |
| Sierra Leone | Africa | 13.8 | 1,165 | 2021 |
| Singapore | Asia | 2.1 | 121 | 2019 |
| Slovakia | Europe | 6.4 | 346 | 2021 |
| Slovenia | Europe | 4.0 | 85 | 2022 |
| Solomon Islands | Oceania | 11.2 | 79 | 2021 |
| Somalia | Africa | 20.2 | 3,440 | 2021 |
| South Africa | Africa | 22.2 | 13,014 | 2019 |
| South Korea | Asia | 4.9 | 2,551 | 2023 |
| South Sudan | Africa | 36.7 | 4,063 | 2019 |
| Spain | Europe | 3.7 | 1,759 | 2022 |
| Sri Lanka | Asia | 11.5 | 2,513 | 2021 |
| Sudan | Africa | 26.8 | 11,459 | 2019 |
| Suriname | South America | 16.2 | 99 | 2021 |
| Sweden | Europe | 2.1 | 227 | 2022 |
| Switzerland | Europe | 2.7 | 241 | 2022 |
| Syria | Asia | 14.9 | 2,550 | 2019 |
| Taiwan | Asia | 12.1 | 2,865 | 2019 |
| Tajikistan | Asia | 15.7 | 1,461 | 2019 |
| Tanzania | Africa | 15.8 | 10,052 | 2021 |
| Thailand | Asia | 32.2 | 22,428 | 2019 |
| Timor-Leste | Asia | 11.9 | 154 | 2019 |
| Togo | Africa | 28.7 | 2,316 | 2019 |
| Tonga | Oceania | 33.0 | 34 | 2019 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | North America | 5.0 | 77 | 2021 |
| Tunisia | Africa | 16.5 | 1,928 | 2019 |
| Turkey | Asia | 6.7 | 5,573 | 2019 |
| Turkmenistan | Asia | 13.5 | 800 | 2019 |
| Uganda | Africa | 16.0 | 7,315 | 2021 |
| Ukraine | Europe | 10.5 | 4,558 | 2021 |
| United Arab Emirates | Asia | 8.9 | 870 | 2019 |
| United Kingdom | Europe | 2.6 | 1,749 | 2022 |
| United States | North America | 14.2 | 47,750 | 2021 |
| Uruguay | South America | 13.0 | 447 | 2021 |
| Uzbekistan | Asia | 11.7 | 3,853 | 2019 |
| Vanuatu | Oceania | 12.5 | 40 | 2021 |
| Venezuela | South America | 13.2 | 3,718 | 2021 |
| Vietnam | Asia | 30.6 | 29,475 | 2019 |
| Yemen | Asia | 29.4 | 8,561 | 2019 |
| Zambia | Africa | 20.5 | 3,654 | 2019 |
| Zimbabwe | Africa | 41.2 | 6,037 | 2019 |
Key Insights into Global Road Safety
The Vulnerable Road User
Historically, safety measures focused on protecting car occupants. However, current data reveals that nearly half of those killed on the roads are:
- Pedestrians
- Motorcyclists
- Cyclists
- Passengers in public transport
In lower-income regions, this percentage is even higher, highlighting the need for safer infrastructure for those outside of vehicles.
The Economic and Social Impact
Beyond the human tragedy, road crashes have a devastating economic effect. A single accident can drive a family into poverty due to:
- Loss of the primary breadwinner.
- High costs of medical care and long-term rehabilitation.
- Funeral expenses.
Prevention and Future Challenges
The WHO emphasizes that most road deaths are preventable. Making transport systems safe requires a multi-faceted approach:
- Safer Infrastructure: Designing roads with pedestrians and cyclists in mind.
- Vehicle Safety: Implementing global standards for car manufacturing.
- Enforcement: Strict laws regarding speed, alcohol, and seatbelt use.
- Post-crash Care: Improving the speed and quality of emergency medical response.
Why This Matters for Dangerous Roads Readers
At Dangerous Roads, we explore the world's most challenging routes. While many of the roads we feature are dangerous due to their geography (cliffs, weather, altitude), this data reminds us that human factors and infrastructure quality are equally critical to your safety on the road.
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_traffic-related_death_rate
http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/road_safety_status/report/cover_and_front_matter_en.pdf