Greece records a historic decrease of 22% in traffic-related deaths in 2025, marking the largest annual decline in Europe.
At a time when European performance in road safety is progressing at a slow pace and the decade-long goal remains under pressure, new data for Greece show a clear and measurable change in the situation on Greek roads. In 2025, the country shows one of the sharpest annual declines in traffic fatalities in Europe, reversing previous trends of stagnation and strengthening its position in the relevant ranking. This development is attributed to increased monitoring of traffic, stricter road behavior regulations, and targeted interventions at critical points in the road network, while at the European level, progress remains limited and unevenly distributed.
Traffic fatalities in the European Union continue to decline at a rate significantly lower than that required to achieve the European target of reducing deaths and serious injuries by 50% by 2030. This is highlighted in the annual report on the Road Safety Performance Index, which is published by the European Transport Safety Council.
The encouraging data
Greece is one of the most notable examples of progress. After years of stagnation, our country recorded a historic, record-breaking 22% decrease in traffic fatalities in 2025, with 517 victims compared to 665 in 2024, achieving its best performance since 1963.
In 2025, approximately 19,500 people lost their lives on the roads of the European Union, while more than 100,000 were seriously injured. Halfway through the 2021–2030 period, fatalities have fallen by only 15% compared to the base year, whereas the reduction needed to put Europe on track to meet the target should already be 31%. Last year, the reduction at the European level was only 2%.
To meet the 2030 target, an average annual reduction of 6.1% was required. Now that Europe is significantly off track, the required reduction rate for the remainder of the decade must rise to approximately 10% per year—that is, five times the current rate of progress.
The Road Safety Performance Index covers 31 countries: The 27 member states of the European Union, as well as Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Serbia. Despite Europe’s overall lag, some countries demonstrate that the goal remains achievable when there is a steadfast political commitment, an evidence-based strategy, and consistent implementation of measures.
Significant Progress
Particularly significant progress has been recorded in countries that were previously among the least safe in Europe. Since 2019, Poland has recorded the largest decrease in Europe, reducing fatalities by 43%. At the same time, countries with a long tradition of road safety, such as Denmark and Belgium, continue to make steady progress toward the European targets, with reductions of 32% and 31%, respectively, since 2019.
Norway and Sweden remain at the top of the European rankings, with just 19 deaths per million inhabitants, while the European Union average stands at 43 deaths per million inhabitants.
With 50 deaths per million inhabitants, Greece is no longer among the lowest-performing countries in the European Union and is closing the gap with the European average at a faster pace. This progress is linked, among other things, to the intensification of enforcement efforts for critical violations, such as failure to wear a helmet and driving under the influence of alcohol, infrastructure improvements, and the implementation of a stricter regulatory framework through the new Highway Code.
However, this positive picture is no reason for complacency. Fatalities on the provincial road network continue to be a particular cause for concern, collisions linked to excessive speed, as well as the increased involvement of vulnerable road users (motorcyclists, pedestrians, cyclists, and users of micro-mobility devices) in serious traffic accidents.
In contrast, the Netherlands is the only major European country where deaths per million inhabitants are currently higher than they were a decade ago. The widespread use of bicycles makes the need for stronger policies to protect vulnerable road users even more urgent.
