Press Release 25/06/2009

MORTALITY STATISTICS (EDEF) 4th Quarter 2008

The number of deaths fell by 2.1% in the fourth quarter of 2008

160 of the deceased were aged 100 or over and 142 of those were women.

In the fourth quarter of 2008, 4,892 people died in the Basque Country, 2.1% down on the same period of 2007, according to Eustat data. By provinces, there were 583 deaths in Álava, 2,794 in Bizkaia and 1,515 in Gipuzkoa.

The provisional figure for the total number of deaths stood at 18,845, of which 9,767 were men and 9,078 women. With respect to the provisional data for the previous year, there were 230 more deaths, which was an increase of 1.2%.

30.1% (5,678) of the deaths in 2008 were due to tumours. These were followed by deaths caused by circulatory system diseases (29.8%, 5,450 deaths) and, in third place and some way behind, respiratory diseases, which accounted for 10% (1,887).

The cause of death differed according to sex, since among men tumours outnumbered circulatory system diseases by 12 points, whereas among women the main cause was cardiovascular diseases and secondly tumours.

Sixty-one of all the deaths in the first quarter of 2008 were infants under one, 32 of whom were boys and 29 girls. On the other hand, 160 people aged 100 or over died, 18 of whom were men and 142 women.

According to the 2008 provisional data, there were 2,328 more births than deaths and the natural population growth in the Basque Country was clearly positive. This sign was positive in all three provinces, with the natural population growth standing at 889 people in Álava, 371 in Bizkaia and 1068 in Gipuzkoa.



Table 1. Deaths in the Basque Country by sex, according to cause of death. Quarterly comparison.

Source: EUSTAT

For further information:

Basque Statistics Office C/ Donostia-San Sebastián, 1 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz Tlf:+34-945-01 75 00 Fax:+34-945-01 75 01 E-mail: eustat@eustat.es Contact: Martín González Hernández Tlf:+34-945-01 75 49 Fax:+34-945-01 75 01 Online press releases: www.eustat.es