Photo: Shutterstock The European Commission has released its 2025 road fatality figures, revealing a worrying picture despite improvements in several countries.
A total of 19,350 people died on EU roads, but the differences between countries remain substantial. Which countries have the highest fatality rates, where are roads safer, and what do the figures show for popular destinations such as Greece, Cyprus, Italy and Hungary?
Europe is one of the world's most popular travel destinations, with millions of visitors choosing to rent a car each year to explore cities, villages and natural attractions independently. However, new figures released by the European Commission on Tuesday, October 27, reveal significant differences in road safety across the continent.
According to the official report, 19,350 people died in road crashes across the 27 EU member states in 2025, a decrease of 3% compared with 2024 and 15% compared with 2019.
In absolute numbers, this represents approximately 580 fewer deaths than in the previous year and around 3,400 fewer than in 2019.
Despite the improvement, the Commission warns that most EU countries are not progressing quickly enough to meet the bloc's target of reducing road deaths and serious injuries by 50% by 2030.
The report highlights considerable differences between EU countries, using the number of road deaths per million inhabitants as its main measure for comparison.
Bulgaria has the highest fatality rate, with 71 deaths per million inhabitants, followed by Romania with 68 and Croatia with 67.
Latvia also ranks among the countries with the highest rates, recording 64 deaths per million inhabitants.
These figures are significantly above the EU average of 43 deaths per million inhabitants.
Despite the high rates, Bulgaria and Romania have made considerable progress since 2019. Road deaths declined by 27% in Bulgaria and 30% in Romania over that period.
Both countries are also among the five EU member states currently on track to achieve the target for reducing road fatalities by 2030.
At the other end of the ranking are two Nordic countries.
Sweden has the lowest road fatality rate in the EU, with 19 deaths per million inhabitants, followed by Denmark with 24.
Other countries with relatively low rates include Ireland and Malta, both recording 33 deaths per million inhabitants, as well as Germany, the Netherlands and Finland, each with 34.
Spain, one of Europe's leading tourist destinations, also performs better than the EU average, with 36 deaths per million inhabitants.
It is important to note that this measure compares fatalities with population size, rather than the number of crashes relative to distance driven. It should therefore not be interpreted as a direct ranking of the personal risk faced by tourists driving rental cars.
One particularly notable result comes from Greece, where road deaths fell by 22% in 2025 compared with 2024.
A total of 518 people died on Greek roads, giving the country a fatality rate of 50 deaths per million inhabitants. Although this remains above the EU average, the year-on-year improvement is significant.
Cyprus, by contrast, recorded an increase.
In 2025, 45 people died on the island's roads, up 10% from the previous year. The fatality rate stood at 45 deaths per million inhabitants, slightly above the EU average.
Over a longer period, however, Cyprus has made progress, with road deaths down 13% compared with 2019.
Other countries attracting large numbers of tourists also recorded varying results.
Italy: A total of 2,868 people died in road crashes in 2025, down 5% from the previous year. The fatality rate was 49 deaths per million inhabitants.
Spain: The country recorded 1,775 road deaths, a 1% decrease compared with 2024, and a fatality rate of 36 per million inhabitants.
Hungary: There were 456 road deaths, down 8% year on year. The fatality rate stood at 48 per million inhabitants.
Czech Republic: A total of 477 people died on the country's roads, a 3% decrease compared with 2024, with a rate of 44 deaths per million inhabitants.
Poland: The country recorded 1,660 road deaths, a significant decrease of 12% in one year and 43% compared with 2019.
Lithuania: There were 138 road deaths, an 11% increase compared with 2024, with a fatality rate of 48 per million inhabitants.
Austria: The country recorded 403 road deaths, up 15% from the previous year, although its fatality rate remained close to the EU average, at 44 deaths per million inhabitants.
| Country | Deaths per million inhabitants | Change in deaths vs. 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Bulgaria | 71 | Down 5% |
| Romania | 68 | Down 12% |
| Croatia | 67 | Up 9% |
| Latvia | 64 | Up 5% |
| Greece | 50 | Down 22% |
| Italy | 49 | Down 5% |
| Hungary | 48 | Down 8% |
| Lithuania | 48 | Up 11% |
| Poland | 46 | Down 12% |
| Cyprus | 45 | Up 10% |
| Czech Republic | 44 | Down 3% |
| Germany | 34 | Up 2% |
| Spain | 36 | Down 1% |
| Denmark | 24 | Down 1% |
| Sweden | 19 | Down 5% |
Source: European Commission, 2025 figures. Some national data may still be subject to revision.
One of the report's most important findings concerns where fatal crashes occur.
According to the Commission, most road deaths in the EU happen on rural roads and roads outside urban areas.
This is particularly relevant for travelers planning road trips through the countryside, between small towns or along mountain routes.
The report also highlights the vulnerability of pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists, alongside occupants of passenger cars. Older people are another group disproportionately represented among road crash victims.
According to the Commission's estimates, approximately five people sustain serious injuries for every road death. This means around 100,000 people suffer serious injuries in road crashes across the EU each year.
The EU has set a target of reducing road deaths and serious injuries by 50% by 2030, compared with 2019 levels. Its longer-term ambition is to bring the number of road deaths close to zero by 2050.
According to the latest figures, only five countries are currently on track to achieve the target for reducing road fatalities: Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Poland and Romania.
European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas said following the release of the figures that road safety was not simply a matter of regulations and laws, but also about protecting lives and preventing tragedies that affect families and communities.
The European Commission is expected to publish preliminary figures for 2026 in March 2027.
Until then, the latest report serves as an important reminder for the millions of people traveling around Europe: alongside choosing a destination, hotel and rental car, travelers should also familiarize themselves with local driving conditions, road infrastructure and safety rules in the countries they plan to visit.