The number of deaths in the A.C. of the Basque Country in 2006 totalled 18,507, of which 9,810 were men and 8,697 women. This figure means a 4.7% increase as regards 2005, according to EUSTAT data.

The number of births exceeded the number of deaths by 1,536, meaning natural population growth was five times higher in 2006 than in the previous year. The last time that a similar figure was achieved was 1999. However, the number of deaths continued to outnumber the number of births in Bizkaia (-274), but was 2.5 times less than in 2005. Álava increased its balance by just over 2 and gained 671 people, while Gipuzkoa gained 1139 people, which was 1.7 times up on the previous year.

The average age of the deceased stood at 76.6, whereas in 1990 it had been 71, which is to say that there was an increase of 5.6. By gender, men passed away at the age of 72.9 on average and women at 80.9.

As regards infant mortality, 3.3 babies per thousand births died aged less than a year old. Neonatal mortality, taking place in the first 28 days, accounted for 49 deaths; 40 were as a result of early neonatal mortality, occurring in the first week, of which 20 took place in the first 24 hours. Among the under-ones, the deaths of boys (37) outnumbered those of girls (29).

30.3% of deaths occurring in 2006, 5,615 were due to circulatory system diseases; followed by tumours, with 30.2% (5,580 deaths), and thirdly, some way behind, were respiratory system diseases, which accounted for 9.4% (1,739).

The cause of death differed according to sex, since among men tumours outnumbered circulatory system diseases, whereas among women the main cause was cardiovascular diseases and secondly tumours.

The cause of death also varied with age. In babies of less than one year old, deaths were most frequently due to diseases originating in the perinatal period and congenital malformations; up until 34 years of age, the main causes of death were external; from 35 to 74 the main cause was tumours and from 75 onwards, circulatory system diseases

Among deaths due to external causes, most outstanding were traffic accidents with 144 deaths, which was down nearly 20% with respect to 2005, while suicide accounted for 148 deaths. In both cases, a greater number of men died than women: 108 men and 36 women because of traffic accidents and 115 men and 33 women by suicide.

Graph 1: Deaths by cause and sex (%)

Table 1: Deaths by sex according to cause.