Injuries in Croatia 2024: Every 20th Death, Leading Cause Among Young People
Croatian Institute of Public Health releases alarming data for 2024: injuries are the leading cause of death among people aged 10 to 39.
Croatian Institute of Public Health releases alarming data for 2024: injuries are the leading cause of death among people aged 10 to 39.
In Croatia, injuries rank just behind heart and blood vessel diseases, malignant diseases, and endocrine and metabolic diseases among the leading causes of death. According to the Croatian Institute of Public Health (HZJZ) report for 2024, 2,651 people died from injuries, accounting for 5.19 percent of total mortality. In other words, every twentieth death in Croatia is a result of injuries.
According to HZJZ data, men (59%) die from injuries more often than women (41%), and mortality from injuries increases with age. However, particularly concerning is the fact that injuries are the leading cause of death among children and young people. During 2024, in the age group of 10 to 39, injuries were the most common cause of death for both sexes.
Falls caused the highest number of injury-related deaths, at 43 percent. They are followed by suicides at 20 percent and traffic accidents at 10 percent. Choking and drowning each caused 3 percent of injury-related deaths.
These figures call for greater investment in prevention, especially when it comes to younger age groups where injuries are the leading cause of death.
