Press release dated 25/06/2010

MORTALITY STATISTICS OF THE BASQUE COUNTRY (EDEF) 4th QUARTER 2009

The number of deaths in the Basque Country fell by 2.9% in the fourth quarter of 2009

In 2009, 197 people (37 men and 160 women) were 100 years old or over when they died

In the fourth quarter of 2009, 4,760 people died in the Basque Country, 2.9% down on the same period of 2008, according to Eustat data. By provinces, there were 600 deaths in Álava, 2,694 in Bizkaia and 1,466 in Gipuzkoa.

The provisional figures for the total number of deaths in 2009 stood at 18,901, of which 9,783 were men and 9,118 women. With respect to the provisional data for the previous year, there were 43 more deaths, which was up 0.2%.

30.5% (5,758) of the deaths in 2009 were due to tumours. These were followed by deaths caused by circulatory system diseases (29.8% - 5,539 deaths) and, in third place and some way behind, respiratory diseases, which accounted for 9,2% (1,744).

The cause of death differed according to sex, since among men tumours outnumbered circulatory system diseases by 10 points, whereas among women the main cause was cardiovascular diseases and secondly tumours.

Fifty-nine of all the deaths in 2009 were infants under one, 37 of whom were boys and 22 girls. On the other hand, 197 people (37 men and 160 women) were 100 years old or over when they died. The increase in the number of women aged 100 or over is clear, given that there were only 50 in 1996.



The population growth rate was positive in the three provinces

According to the provisional data for 209, the population growth rate of the Basque Country was clearly positive, as births exceeded deaths by 1,815 people. Even though the sign was positive in the three provinces, it was overwhelmingly so in Álava and Gipuzkoa with population growth rate of 826 and 956 people, respectively, while it stood at 33 in Bizkaia.

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 Further press releases on MORTALITY STATISTICS of the Basque Country Databank on the Mortality Statistics of the Basque Country