Deaths from falls nearly double in ten years

Twice as many people died in an accidental fall in 2021 than ten years ago. This is evidenced by figures from the Central Bureau of Statistics on Monday. This mainly concerns the elderly over the age of 80 and people with degenerative diseases such as dementia, Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease.

In the study, CBS looked at accidents in which people fell or tripped and died within thirty days as a result of falls. Such an accidental fall is the cause of death in 3% of deaths in the Netherlands. However, the numbers indicate that it mainly pertains to the elderly who die as a result of falls. Of the 5,400 deaths in 2021, more than 40 percent were people eighty or older.

The number of deaths from falls rose faster in older age groups, especially among women. In 2011, nearly 7 out of every 1,000 women over the age of 90 died as a result of falls. Ten years later, in 2021, there were more than fifteen women per thousand. The number of deaths among men also rose fastest in the over-90 age group: from more than seven per thousand deaths in 2011 to thirteen per thousand in 2021.

Four out of ten people who died from falls in 2021 had a degenerative disease, such as dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease or multiple sclerosis. Six out of ten people who died from an accidental fall last year received long-term care, either in an institution or from home. The number of deaths in health care facilities has increased slightly over the past year, particularly among people with degenerative diseases.