Press Release 25/09/2009
MORTALITY STATISTICS (EDEF) 1st Quarter 2009
The number of deaths fell by 2.2% in the first quarter of 2009
The circulatory diseases were the main cause of death, followed by tumours
In the first quarter of 2009, 5,277 people died in the Basque Country, 2.2% down on the same period of the previous year, according to Eustat data. By provinces, 664 people died in Álava, which was a drop of 1.5%, 2,888 in Bizkaia (-2.6%) and 1725 in Gipuzkoa (-1.6%).
Men accounted for 2702 and women for 2575 of the 5277 people who died, which was down by 1.8% and 2.5%, respectively, on the same quarter of the previous year.
The first quarter of the year is traditionally the time of the greatest number of deaths, where the greatest increases are usually due to respiratory diseases. This year, there was a 27.3% increase for that cause compared to the last quarter of 2008.
However, circulatory diseases were the main cause of death and they accounted for the deaths of 1,535 people, nearly a third of the deaths.
Tumours were the second cause of death and accounted for the deaths of 1,428 people (27.1%). Respiratory diseases were in third place and caused 621 deaths during the winter months.
The cause of death differed according to sex, as tumours outnumbered circulatory system diseases among men, whereas the main cause was cardiovascular diseases among women, followed by tumours. Respiratory diseases remained as the third cause of death for both sexes.
Nineteen of all deaths in the first quarter of 2009 were infants under one, 10 of whom were boys and 9 girls.
The population growth rate in the first quarter of 2009 was negative, with a population loss of 316 people. By provinces, negative balances occurred in Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa, whose population fell by 350 and 89 inhabitants, respectively. On the other hand, the number of births in Álava exceeded the deaths (+123).
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