Number of fatalities in traffic accidents in China 2010-2023

In 2023, China recorded 60,028 fatalities in traffic accidents across the country. The number of fatalities has increased from 60,676in the previous year. 

Road traffic in China

The number of road traffic fatalities in China varies greatly from region to region. Guangdong and Hubei had been the provinces with the highest number of traffic fatalities. All located in the eastern coastal area of China, they had also been the regions with the most traffic accidents in 2023. On the contrary, only a small number of fatalities had been reported in central and western regions of China. Reasons for this imbalance may be found in less traffic volume as well as the existence of fewer urban congested areas.

Since 2016, the number of casualties and fatalities from traffic accidents in China has increased significantly, reaching 25,3895 injuries and 60,028 deaths in 2023. Nevertheless, traffic accidents have emerged as one of the leading causes of death in China. The primary reasons may be unregulated road works and a lack of awareness among Chinese drivers. The development of neither road infrastructure nor driving behavior in China had been able to keep up with the increasing number of traffic participants and registered cars. As of 2003, only 24 million vehicles had been registered in China, whereas by 2019 that number had skyrocketed to 253.76 million cars. In 2023 alone, the number of newly registered vehicles in China had amounted to around 24.5 million cars.