Slips, trips and falls is one of the leading causes of injury for adults in homes or workplaces. While older people are victims of falling the most, people of other ages aren’t too far behind. As fall-related incidents happen to be one of the leading causes of injuries and deaths in workplaces too.
 

Today, we’re looking at data gathered from the likes of the CDC, WHO, and other organizations regarding the problems caused by falling.
 

So, let’s dive right into it and analyze a few key statistics about fall-related injuries, costs, deaths, etc.

 

Statistics About Fall (General)

  • Each year, about 1 out of 4 older people fall and injure themselves. 65 and older are the most prevalent age groups in this regard. (CDC)
     
  • There has been a 60% increase in older adult deaths caused by falls. It has also increased emergency visits by 20%.
     
  • Fall is the leading culprit in TBI (Traumatic Brain Injuries) among adults. This is common among both workers and people at home. (CDC)
     
  • In 1995, around 20.8% of all visits to emergency rooms were caused by falls or injuries caused by falling.
     
  • Around 8 million people visit hospitals each year because of injuries caused by falls. This includes less severe and non-fatal injuries.
     
  • Around 95% of fall injuries are responsible for hip fractures, and this is out of 800 thousand people who report fall injuries each year. (CDC)
     
  • People aged 0-19 are also frequent victims of fall accidents, with over 8,000 average annual visits to emergency rooms in the United States.
     
  • CDC says around one out of five falls ends up giving a long-term or recurring painful injury to the victims. (CDC)

Statistics about Fatal Fall Injuries

  • There has been a 41% increase in deaths caused by falls among adults aged 65 or older, averaging around 78 adults per 100,000. (CDC)
     
  • World Health Organization says around 684,000 annual deaths occur due to falling each year. This makes it the leading cause of deaths caused by unintentional injuries. (WHO)
     
  • Around 87% of fall injuries in the United States are responsible for fatal or serious spinal cord injuries.
     
  • Around 30% of people over 65 suffer a fall injury every year, and 10% of those are either fatal or serious. (NCBI)
     
  • 2021 was a particularly terrible year with more than 38,000 fall-related deaths among older adults.
     
  • CDC says falling is one of the leading causes of hip and serious brain injuries among older adults.
     
  • Around 700 workers died in different workplaces from falling in 2021,2022—one of the most difficult years for fall-related deaths in professional areas.
     
  • Fall amounts to 20% of all fatal injuries in the workplace, and around 40% of those are related to ladders or steps. (HSE)

Statistics About Non-Fatal Fall Injuries

  • Around 27% of adults report that they have fallen at least once in the past year or so—including at work and home. (CDC)
     
  • The percentage of fall-related injuries increases with age, with around 26% of 65–74-year-olds suffering fall injuries, while 36% of 75–85-year-olds suffer fall injuries. (NIH)
     
  • 2014 was particularly the leading year for fall-related injuries, with over 29 million adults suffering some sort of fall injury. (CDC)
     
  • Around 37+ million fall-related injuries are severe enough to require medical emergencies. (WHO)
     
  • People aged 60 and above have a higher risk of fall-related injuries or death compared to people below that age cap.
     
  • Around 28% of women report having fall-related injuries, compared to 26% of the men who have suffered fall injuries.
     
  • Falling has become the leading cause of sudden/unintentional deaths among adults aged 65 years or older.

 

Statistics About Fall Injury Costs

  • Experts record around $50 billion in costs for medication, treatment, and other for non-fatal fall injuries on average. (NCBI)
     
  • The growing concern stems from the fall-related costs, which were around $16 billion back in 2000. (National Institutes of Health)
     
  • Fall-related injuries are the reason for around 15% of rehospitalization of patients after the first month or so. More than any other injury.
     
  • There is a contrasting burden of adult fall patients in various states, as California spends around $4.4 billion on it annually, while Alaska spends around $48 million.
     
  • Falls are a significant burden on the economy, and they are 5th on the list of 155+ health conditions that cost the most to governments.

Conclusion

These are some of the most important fall-related statistics, which give us an insight into how devastating, problematic, and economically burdening it can be. With the increase in fall-related injuries and deaths, organizations and governments around the world are constantly coming up with new and efficient tactics to tackle this problem.