Portugal was the fifth EU country with the highest road mortality rate in 2025

In 2025, Portugal ranked fifth in the EU for road mortality rates, with 51 deaths per million inhabitants, despite a 6% decrease from the previous year. A total of 578 fatalities were reported, marking a 16% decline since 2019. Countries with higher rates include Latvia, Croatia, Romania, and Bulgaria. Conversely, Sweden, Denmark, Estonia, and Ireland reported the lowest rates. The EU recorded 19,350 road deaths in 2025, a 3% decrease from 2024. The European Commission noted that while progress has been made, most member states are not on track to halve road deaths by 2030. Older individuals are more frequently victims of road accidents, particularly on rural roads. For every road death, five people are estimated to suffer serious injuries, totaling around 100,000 annually in the EU.