Deaths of people over 100 years old increased by 27.3%

In the first quarter of 2008, 5,376 people died in the A.C. of the Basque Country, 4.3% up on the same period of the previous year, according to Eustat data. By provinces, 2,960 people died in Bizkaia, which was a 7.3% increase, 1,470 in Gipuzkoa (+1.3%), while a total of 676 people died in Álava, which was the same figure as for the first quarter of 2007.

Men accounted for 2,746 and women for 2,630 of the 5,376 people who died, which was a 6.3% and 2.4% increase, respectively, on the same quarter of the previous year.

As regards the ages of the deceased, nearly 80% were 70 or over, with the largest group aged between 80 to 89 years old, which accounted for 37.2% of the total deaths. Fifty-six people aged 100 or over died, 27.3% more than in the same quarter of 2007 and 90% of whom were women.

Seventeen of all the deaths in the first quarter of 2008 were infants under one, 7 of whom were boys and 10 girls.

The population growth rate in the first quarter of 2008 was negative, with a population loss of 293 people. By provinces, negative balances occurred in Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa, whose population fell by 327 and 57 inhabitants, respectively. On the other hand, the number of births in Álava exceeded the deaths (+91).

Table 1. Deaths in the A.C. of Euskadi by sex, according to age groups. Quarterly comparison.

Source: EUSTAT