Accidents at work claimed 3 367 lives in the EU in 2024

In 2024, the number of fatal work-related accidents in the EU was 3 367, an increase of 1.4% (45 deaths) compared with 2023.

There were also 2.78 million non-fatal accidents at work. Compared with 2023, non-fatal accidents decreased by 1.5% (-43 742 accidents).

This information comes from the European statistics on accidents at work data collection that was released by Eurostat today. This article presents a handful of findings from a more detailed Statistics Explained article on accidents at work.

Among the EU's economic sectors, construction recorded by far the highest number of fatal accidents at work in 2024, with 776 deaths. This figure was lower compared with 2023 (802), when construction registered the highest number of fatal work-related accidents in a decade. Transport and storage (537) and manufacturing (466) had the second and third highest numbers of fatal accidents at work in 2024.

Source dataset: hsw_n2_02

Regarding non-fatal accidents at work, manufacturing recorded more than half a million (509 851) accidents in 2024, the highest number of cases of any sectors. This was nevertheless the lowest figure over the past decade except for 2020, when the number fell to 498 060 accidents during the global pandemic. Manufacturing was followed by construction (352 520) and wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (345 282).

Source dataset: hsw_n2_01