Stairlift Statistics

Published 7 February 2023 · Last updated 2 July 2026

Stairlifts exist because stairs are the most dangerous place in the British home. This page gathers the most reliable published figures on stair falls, the people affected and the size of the UK stairlift market. We only include statistics we can verify, and each one links to its original source so you can check it yourself.

Falls on the stairs: what the data shows

According to RoSPA’s Safer Stairs campaign, falls on stairs and steps kill more than 1,000 people every year in England and Wales, and around 43,000 more are hospitalised. RoSPA also reports that building stairs to the British Standard BS 5395-1 cuts the chance of a fall by around 60 per cent, which shows how much staircase design shapes the risk in the first place.

The wider picture is just as stark. Analysis of ONS mortality data published by the Centre for Ageing Better found that falls caused 48 per cent of all accidental deaths in 2023, making them the leading cause of accidental death in the UK, with falls from stairs and steps the most commonly identified type. Falls also accounted for 59 per cent of all accident-related hospital admissions in 2023/24.

Nor is this only an older person’s problem. A survey for the British Woodworking Federation found that 43 per cent of Britons fall on the stairs each year, with younger adults actually reporting the most tumbles, usually through rushing, carrying loads or looking at a phone. The difference is in the consequences: a 30-year-old typically walks away bruised, while an 80-year-old is far more likely to suffer a fracture, which is why the serious-injury figures skew so heavily towards later life.

Who is most at risk

Age is the biggest factor. The NHS estimates that around 1 in 3 adults over 65 who live at home will have at least one fall a year, rising to around half of people aged over 80. A previous fall is one of the strongest predictors of another, which is why occupational therapists treat a first stair fall as a warning rather than bad luck. Risk also climbs where mobility is already limited, and helping someone up the stairs by walking behind them can endanger both people if either loses balance, a pattern installers see often when they first visit a home.

The UK stairlift market

Market analysts at Grand View Research put UK revenue from stair lifts and climbing devices at 206.5 million US dollars in 2023, and project growth of around 8.8 per cent a year to roughly 373 million dollars by 2030. The driver is the growing preference for adapting the family home over moving to accessible housing or residential care. The UK is also a manufacturing centre for the industry: Stannah builds in Hampshire, while Acorn and Platinum both manufacture in West Yorkshire, and Dutch and Scandinavian brands sell here through dealer networks.

An ageing population

The 2021 Census counted over 11 million people aged 65 or over in England and Wales, 18.6 per cent of the population and a larger share than ever previously recorded. The Centre for Ageing Better’s State of Ageing analysis of ONS projections expects that share to keep climbing for decades, with the fastest growth among the over-80s, the age group most likely to need help on the stairs.

Key statistics at a glance

What the numbers mean if you are considering a stairlift

Two practical lessons stand out. First, the falls data says timing matters: most serious stair injuries happen to people who had already noticed the stairs getting harder, so acting after a near miss rather than after a fall is the pattern the statistics reward. Second, a growing market means more suppliers, more reconditioned stock and more room to compare, so get several quotes and check installer reviews. Prices vary by staircase, which is exactly why comparing matters. Third, the ageing projections point to rising demand for surveys and custom curved rails in the years ahead, another reason not to leave the decision until a crisis forces it.

The bottom line

Stairs are the single most dangerous feature of the British home, killing over 1,000 people a year and hospitalising tens of thousands more, and the population most at risk is growing faster than any other. Set against that, the stairlift market’s steady expansion is no mystery. If the stairs in your home are becoming a struggle, the numbers make a plain case for dealing with them before they deal with you.

Published 7 February 2023 · Last updated 2 July 2026