Objective   To analyze the disease burden of falls in Inner Mongolia from 1990 to 2017 and provide reference for the development of strategy of prevention and control of falls.

  Methods   The number of deaths, mortality rate, years of life lost (YLL), years lived with disability (YLD), disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) of falls in Inner Mongolia during this period were from the results of the Global Burden of Disease study 2017 and standardized by using the 2017 global standard population. The gender and age specific disease burden of falls in Inner Mongolia during this period were described and the average annual percent change (AAPC) was used to reflect the change trend of disease burden of falls from 1990 to 2017.

  Results   In 2017, the number of deaths , YLD, DALYs caused by falls in Inner Mongolia were 854, 36800 person years and 63400 person years respectively, which increased by 32.53%, 204.22% and 37.98% compared with 1990, however, the YLL fell by 21.46%; the standardized mortality rate decreased from 4.21/100 000 in 1990 to 3.23/100 000 in 2017, the AAPC was −1.00%, the standardized DALY rate decreased from 216.71/100 000 in 1990 to 208.10/100 000 in 2017, the AAPC was −0.40%, the standardized YLL rate decreased from 155.70/100 000 in 1990 to 97.53/100 000 in 2017, the AAPC was −2.00%, however, the standardized YLD rate showed an increase trend, the AAPC was 2.20%, all the above changes were statistically significant (P<0.05). The standardized mortality rate, the standardized YLL rate, the standardized YLD rate, the standardized DALY rate of falls were higher in men than in women. The mortality rate, YLL rate, and DALY rate declined first and then increased with age, the mortality rate, the YLL rate and the DALY rate was lowest in age group 5–14 years but highest in age group ＞70 years. Compared with 1990, the death number and disease burden of falls in age group 0–14 years showed decrease trends.

  Conclusion  The standardized mortality rate and standardized DALY rate caused by falls showed decrease trends from 1990 to 2017, however, the burden of disability showed an increase trend. The elderly aged ＞70 years were the key population, it is necessary to take targeted prevention measures to reduce the death and disease burden of falls in this population.