Key Points

• 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 people aged 65 and older, an increase of 20.5% compared to 2019.

• 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.

• Standardized rates of hospitalization and mortality related to falls:

  • vary by gender: while hospitalizations are proportionally more frequent among women than men at the same age distribution, 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.

• Regional disparities have been observed, with higher rates of hospitalization and mortality related to falls in 2024 in the Grand Est, Normandy, Brittany, and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regions.

• The increase in mortality rates between 2020 and 2024 is greater than what was 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, fall-related mortality has been steadily increasing throughout the period, with the proportion of falls in all-cause mortality having risen.