According to data from the Global Burden of Disease, falls are the leading contributor to the burden of disease in terms of years of life lost or lived with disability (DALYs) across all age groups, with this contribution having increased by 50% between 1990 and 2023.

They have major repercussions on quality of life, independence, and the healthcare system, both in terms of costs (nearly 2 billion euros per year, as estimated by the Court of Auditors, a portion of which is preventable) and the burden on family caregivers

According to the results of the latest health survey, in France in 2024, nearly one in five people reported having fallen in the past 12 months, leading to a need for medical care in 40% of cases among people aged 65 to 79.

Hospitalizations due to falls

In 2024, 174,824 hospitalizations related to falls were recorded among people aged 65 and older, representing a standardized rate of 1,198 hospitalizations per 100,000 residents aged 65 and older, an increase of 20.5% compared to 2019.

Deaths Related to Falls

In 2024, 20,148 people aged 65 and older died as a result of a fall, representing a standardized mortality rate of 138 per 100,000 people aged 65 and older, an increase of 18% compared to 2019.

Disparities by gender, age, season, and region

Standardized rates of hospitalization and mortality related to falls:

• vary by gender: while hospitalizations are proportionally more common among women than men within the same age group, fall-related mortality is proportionally higher among men than women;

• increase with age: in 2024, the hospitalization rate related to falls is 8.6 times higher among those aged ≥85 than among those aged 65–74, while the mortality rate related to falls is 29 times higher;

• are higher in winter than in summer, possibly due to weather conditions and winter epidemics;

• are higher in the Grand Est, Normandy, Brittany, and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regions.

An upward trend, greater than the increase mechanically expected due to population aging

The increase in mortality rates between 2020 and 2024 was greater than expected based on projections of the 2015–2019 trend, particularly for the oldest age groups.

While all-cause mortality is lower in 2024 than in 2019, mortality related to falls has been steadily increasing over the entire period, with the share of falls in all-cause mortality having risen.