Injury and Violence Prevention Branch

Falls Injury Data

As our population ages, fall injuries in North Carolina are an increasingly serious public health issue. Falls are the second leading cause of unintentional injury death for North Carolinians of all ages, and in every year from 1999 to 2019, the number one cause of injury death for individuals 65 and older. From 2010-2019, the death rate from falls has increased 59.6 percent for all ages, and 27.6 percent in the 65 and older population. Rates of non-fatal fall injuries are also on the rise, with a 226.7% increase in fall-related hospitalizations and a 25.8% increase in ED visit rates among the 65 and older population (2010-2019).

After viewing this page, if you find yourself needing more information on fall injuries, please review the Injury and Violence Prevention Branch data request policies and procedures for steps on how to make a custom data request.

Falls Summary Data

Fall-Related Injuries 2017-2021 – PowerPoint presentation with data on fall injury deaths, hospitalizations, and ED visits

Older Adult Falls and Related TBI – PowerPoint presentation including a data overview, prevention strategies, and statewide resources for older adult falls and TBI. The recording of this presentation can be found here.

TBI-Related Fall Injury Data
Maps of TBI-Related Fall Injuries by County of Residence

• TBI-Related Fall Deaths Map, 2016-2019
• TBI-Related Fall Hospitalizations Map, 2016-2019
• TBI-Related Fall ED Visits Map, 2016-2019

NC DETECT Unintentional Falls Dashboard

• Data Dashboard to track and monitor emergency department visits for unintentional falls.

 Archive

State Unintentional Falls ORION Report

This ORION report includes data on unintentional fall deaths, hospitalizations, and ED visits by sex, age and race/ethnicity.

• ORION: Unintentional Fall Injuries in North Carolina, 2017-2021

County Unintentional Falls ORION Reports

These ORION reports include county-level data from 2017-2021 on unintentional fall deaths, hospitalizations, and ED visits by sex, age, and race/ethnicity.

Select County Alamance Alexander Alleghany Anson Ashe Avery Beaufort Bertie Bladen Brunswick Buncombe Burke Cabarrus Caldwell Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham Cherokee Chowan Clay Cleveland Columbus Craven Cumberland Currituck DareCounty Davidson Davie Duplin Durham Edgecombe Forsyth Franklin Gaston Gates Graham Granville Greene Guilford Halifax Harnett Haywood Henderson Hertford Hoke Hyde Iredell Jackson Johnston Jones Lee Lenoir Lincoln Macon Madison Martin McDowell Mecklenburg Mitchell Montgomery Moore Nash New Hanover Northampton Onslow Orange Pamlico Pasquotank Pender Perquimans Person Pitt Polk Randolph Richmond Robeson Rockingham Rowan Rutherford Sampson Scotland Stanly Stokes Surry Swain Transylvania Tyrrell Union Vance Wake Warren Washington Watauga Wayne Wilkes Wilson Yadkin Yancey

BRFSS Data for Fall Injuries

Below are reports from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).

• 2012 Falls in the Past 3 Months that Caused an Injury (BRFSS) (PDF, 129 KB)
• 2012 Number of Falls in the Past 3 Months (BRFSS) (PDF, 129 KB)
• 2010 Falls in the Past 3 Months that Caused an Injury (BRFSS) (PDF, 110 KB)
• 2010 Number of Falls in the Past 3 Months (BRFSS) (PDF, 109 KB)

Special Emphasis Reports: Fall Injuries

• Fall Injuries among Older Adults, 2021 (PDF, 1.30 MB) New 10/23/23

Falls Prevention Information

For fall injury prevention information, see our information for individuals and families.

Visit the CDC’s site on preventing falls in older adults for more information.

The North Carolina Falls Prevention Coalition is working to prevent falls by increasing awareness, providing education and training, providing tools and resources, and fostering linkages between programs and organizations working to reduce falls. Visit their site to find out what is being done to address falls in North Carolina.

For older fact sheets, please contact a member of the Injury and Violence Prevention Branch.