Between 2020 and 2024, a total of 19,224 people lost their lives in road accidents across the northeastern states of India, with Assam alone accounting for eight out of every ten road crash deaths in the region, according to data released by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways for 2024.
Assam's Alarming Fatality Rate
Assam recorded a fatality rate of 7.43 per 10,000 vehicles, significantly higher than the national average of 4.58. This placed Assam fifth among Indian states with the highest fatality rate per vehicle. The fatality rate measures road accident deaths relative to the number of vehicles, calculated as fatalities per 10,000 vehicles.
Arunachal Pradesh was the only other northeastern state above the national average, with a fatality rate of 5. In contrast, Nagaland and Manipur recorded the lowest fatality rates in the country, at 1.12 and 1.99, respectively.
Regional Accident Trends
Excluding Sikkim, the seven northeastern states reported 9,518 road accidents in 2024, accounting for nearly 2% of all road crashes in India. The region's share of national accidents has remained broadly stable over the past five years, despite fluctuations in individual states. Road crashes in these states increased from 8,394 in 2019 to 9,518 in 2024, reflecting the impact of growing vehicle ownership, expanding road connectivity, and rising traffic movement.
Assam continued to dominate the region's accident profile, reporting 7,848 accidents in 2024—more than 82% of all road accidents recorded in the seven states. Assam was the leading contributor throughout the 2020–2024 period.
State-wise Breakdown
Tripura recorded the second-highest number of road accidents in 2024 with 578, followed by Manipur (299), Arunachal Pradesh (277), and Meghalaya (269). Mizoram (118) and Nagaland (129) reported comparatively fewer accidents, though trends varied considerably across states.
The data shows that Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Tripura witnessed an increase in road accidents in 2024 compared with the previous year. On the other hand, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, and Nagaland recorded a decline. Among the states that reported an increase, Assam accounted for the largest rise in absolute numbers, reinforcing its position as the region's principal contributor to road crashes. Meghalaya and Mizoram also registered notable increases, while Tripura's accident count remained largely stable with a marginal rise.
Nagaland recorded the sharpest decline in road accidents, continuing a downward trend observed over the past few years. Manipur also reported a reduction in crashes, while Arunachal Pradesh registered a slight decline.
