June 18, 2025- Between 2003 and 2023, the national rate of unintentional falls increased more than 70% among adults 65 and older, according to CDC data published June 18.
Fall death rates increased for several age groups over 65. For adults ages 65 to 74, the rate for men increased from 14.3 per 100,000 individuals in 2003 to 24.7 in 2023, and the rate for women grew from 8.3 per 100,000 to 14.2.
Rates increased in older age groups, with the rate for 75- to 84-year-olds increasing from 51.3 to 89.6 for men and from 33.6 to 62.8 for women. And among those 85 and older, the rate for men doubled, from 178.3 to 373.3, and increased 2.5 times for women, from 128.5 to 319.7.
The CDC report did not analyze why fatal unintentional fall rates have increased in the last 20 years.