In 1988, 1212 patients with an acute pelvic fracture were registered in Finnish hospitals for primary treatment. The overall incidence in women was 29/10(5) and in men 20/10(5). The female to male ratio was 2.9 in patients who were over 49 years of age, while in younger age groups the ratio was 0.5. Half of the cases were pubic fractures. In half of the cases the mechanism of injury was a fall and in one quarter a traffic accident. Slightly more than half of the cases were stable and half of the cases were of moderate severity. The average length of hospital stay varied from 17 days in men to 21 days in women.