Where Walking Is Most Dangerous in Europe

Fresh 2024 figures: in Romania, 32.6% of everyone killed on the roads was a pedestrian. Across Europe the share ranges three-fold — a direct readout of crossing design, street lighting and urban speed limits.

#	Country	Pedestrian share	Pedestrians killed	All road deaths
1	Romania	32.6%	482	1,478
2	Latvia	30.4%	34	112
3	Lithuania	28.2%	35	124
4	Slovakia	25.6%	67	262
5	Bulgaria	23.2%	111	478
6	Poland	22.6%	428	1,896
7	Serbia	21.6%	111	514
8	Ireland	21.1%	36	171
9	Switzerland	20.4%	51	250
10	Denmark	20%	29	145
11	Hungary	18.3%	91	497
12	Spain	17.9%	320	1,785
13	Czechia	17.4%	86	494
14	Croatia	16.7%	40	239
15	Estonia	15.9%	11	69
16	Italy	15.5%	470	3,030
17	Belgium	14.9%	70	470
18	Germany	14.8%	411	2,770
19	France	14%	444	3,181
20	Austria	13.7%	48	351
21	Sweden	13.6%	29	213
22	Finland	13.3%	24	181
23	Netherlands	9.7%	55	566
24	Norway	6.9%	6	87

Source: Eurostat road-safety statistics 2024 (persons killed by road-user category). Countries with under 20 deaths excluded for statistical stability.

More Europe Data

Europe region hub · Safest countries · Deadliest day of the week

Worldwide

Global Context

Worldwide, more than half of the 1.19M annual road deaths are vulnerable road users — pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists. See the full world table.

Questions

FAQ

Which European country is most dangerous for pedestrians?

Romania — 32.6% of its 1,478 road deaths in 2024 were people on foot, the highest share in Europe. Eastern European countries dominate the top of the ranking; unlit rural roads and walking along carriageways are recurring factors.

Why do pedestrian shares differ so much between countries?

Infrastructure and speed. Countries with high pedestrian shares typically have more walking along unlit rural roads, fewer protected crossings, and higher urban speeds. A pedestrian hit at 30 km/h usually survives; at 50 km/h, most do not — which is why 30 km/h city zones are spreading across Europe.

Where does this data come from?

Eurostat's 2024 road-safety dataset (persons killed by category of road user), published July 2026 — official figures reported by national authorities, freely reusable with attribution.