Press Release 07/06/2013

MORTALITY STATISTICS OF THE BASQUE COUNTRY (EDEF) 4TH QUARTER 2012

Deaths fell by 4% in the fourth quarter of 2012

In 2012 207 people over the age of 100 died, 40 men and 167 women

In the fourth quarter of 2012 the number of deaths in the Basque Country stood at 4,856, 4% down on the same period of 2011, according to Eustat data. By province, in Álava there were 615 deaths, in Bizkaia there were 2,694 and in Gipuzkoa 1,547 people died.

The provisional data totals for 2012 recorded 19,721 deaths, of which 10,034 were men and 9,687 were women. There was an increase of 3.3% with respect to 2011.

Amongst the deaths that occurred last year, 63 corresponded to children under one year of age, 30 boys and 33 girls. As regards the 207 individuals who died aged 100 or above, 167 were women and 40 were men. The increase in longevity is clear, particularly amongst the female sex, if we take into account the fact that in 1996 the number of deaths of women aged 100 or over stood at just 50.

The main cause of death was due to tumours

30.5% of the deaths that occurred in 2012, or 6,006 deaths, were due to tumours. Following these were those caused by diseases of the circulatory system, 28% (5,525) and, in third place, some way behind, were deaths associated with diseases of the respiratory system, which accounted for 9.4% (1,846).

The cause of death continued to vary according to sex: amongst men, tumours caused 12.5% more deaths than diseases of the circulatory system, whilst the main cause of death amongst women was cardiovascular disease, followed in second place by tumours.

Population growth was positive in Álava and Gipuzkoa, but negative in Bizkaia

With provisional data from 2012, population growth in the Basque Country was positive with births exceeding deaths by 690 individuals. By province, Bizkaia is the only one with a negative balance as the number of deaths exceeded the number of births by 603. Regarding Álava and Gipuzkoa, both increased their population by 825 and 468 inhabitants, respectively.

For further information:

Eustat - Euskal Estatistika Erakundea / Instituto Vasco de Estadística C/ Donostia-San Sebastián, 1 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz Press Service: servicioprensa@eustat.eus Tlf: 945 01 75 62 Further press releases on MORTALITY STATISTICS of the Basque Country Databank on the Mortality Statistics of the Basque Country