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Press Release 09/23/2014

MORTALITY STATISTICS OF THE BASQUE COUNTRY (EDEF) I/ 2014

Deaths rose by 7.3% in the first quarter of 2014

The increase reached 12.9% in Bizkaia and was 0.3% in Gipuzkoa

In the first quarter of 2014 the number of deaths in the Basque Country stood at 5,450, 7.3% up on the same period of the previous year, according to Eustat data. By province, in Álava 646 individuals died, an increase of 2.9%; 3,053 in Bizkaia (12.9%) and 1,751 in Gipuzkoa (0.3%). By sex, 2,757 men and 2,693 women died, which translate as increases of 6.7% and 7.9%, respectively.

The main causes of death were tumours and circulatory system diseases, which caused the deaths of 1,567 and 1,556 individuals, respectively, which mean that together they accounted for 57.3% of deaths.

As a third cause of death were respiratory diseases, which caused 611 deaths, (11.2%), and fourth place was occupied by diseases of the digestive system, which in the months of January, February and March caused 241 deaths (4.4%).

Deaths by diseases of the respiratory system increased by 4.6%

The winter months are traditionally characterised for being those that account for the greatest number of deaths, with respiratory diseases normally registering the greatest increases compared to the other quarters. During the first quarter of 2014, 611 individuals died from these illnesses, 4.6% up on the same quarter of the previous year (584 deaths), and 28.1% up on the fourth quarter of 2013 (477 deaths).

The cause of death continued to vary according to sex. Amongst men, tumours caused more deaths than diseases of the circulatory system, whilst amongst women the order was inversed: the main cause of death was cardiovascular disease, followed by tumours in second place. Diseases of the respiratory system remained the third cause of death for both sexes.

Amongst the deaths that occurred in this first quarter, 11 corresponded to children under 1 year of age - 7 girls and 4 boys.

Population growth in the Basque Country in the first quarter of 2014 was negative, with a population decrease of 742. Álava was the only province to experience an increase, growing by 157 inhabitants. In Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa the population was down given that the number of deaths exceeded the number of births by 690 and 209, respectively.