Skip to main content
Week 4 2025

Every day over 1,700 Danes are injured in accidents

Injuries and accidents are among the leading causes of morbidity and hospitalizations in Denmark. This is shown by data from the new Danish Injury Register.

Every day, more than 1,700 Danes end up in the emergency room or hospital due to accidents and injuries. Many individuals experience repeated injuries, resulting in over one million annual contacts with emergency departments and hospitals.

This is according to new figures from the Danish Injury Register, managed by the National Institute of Public Health. The data covers the period from 2010 to 2022.

Most injuries occur when playing during leisure activities, or sports. For instance, playing and other leisure activities account for 20 percent of all accidents. The home is also a hazardous zone: more than 10 percent of accidents occur during household chores. Traffic accidents are another significant contributor to the statistics.

The injury statistics also encompass tragic incidents such as violence, suicide, suicide attempts, and self-harm. On average, approximately 2,000 people die annually as a result of an accident.

According to researcher Mette Rasmussen from the National Institute of Public Health, the high number of accidents represents a serious public health issue:

"Accidents are one of the most significant causes of morbidity and hospitalizations in Denmark. Therefore, prevention is crucial, not only for the individual but also for society as a whole," she says.

Accidents affect people throughout the population, but children and young adults (aged 0-29) and the elderly (aged 75 and above) are particularly vulnerable.

Social and geographical disparities

The report also reveals significant social and geographical differences in the occurrence of accidents. Individuals with only primary school education experience many more accidents compared to those with higher education.

Geographically, the North Denmark Region and the Central Denmark Region report fewer accident-related contacts than would be expected based on their population sizes. In contrast, the Region of Southern Denmark has the highest proportion of accident-related contacts relative to its population.

According to Mette Rasmussen, these geographical differences may be influenced by several factors:

"In some regions, the distance to the hospital is longer, which may reduce the number of registered contacts. It is also possible that local differences in activities and prevention efforts play a role."

The Danish Injury Register is an extension and further development of the former Injury Register. Its purpose is to analyze the occurrence of accidents in Denmark and describe their causes and consequences. This data is intended to support the planning and evaluation of prevention initiatives.

Contact: Researcher Mette Rasmussen, email: meras@sdu.dk, phone: +45 6650 4344, National Institute of Public Health, SDU.

Would you like to know more?

Report

Editing was completed: 22.01.2025