Press Release 18/03/2016

DEATH STATISTICS. III/2015

Deaths rose by 6.9% in the third quarter of 2015

However, population growth of the Basque Country in the third quarter of 2015 was positive

In the third quarter of 2015 the figure for deaths in the Basque Country stood at 4,660, which was an increase of 6.9% compared to the same quarter of the previous year, according to Eustat data. As far as the sex of the people who died was concerned, 2,342 (50.3%) were men and 2,318 (49.7%) were women.

Deaths increased in the three provinces: in Álava 597 people died, an increase of 10.8%; in 2,537 in Bizkaia (+5.5%), and 1,526 in Gipuzkoa (+7.8%).

If we consider the age at the time of death, 20% of the people who died were under 70 years of age, 18% were between 70 and 79, 40% were between 80 and 89, and the remaining 22%, more than 1,015 people, had turned 90.

Amongst the deaths that occurred in the third quarter of 2015, 14 corresponded to children under the age of one, 7 boys and 7 girls.

A third of deaths were due to tumours

The main causes of death were tumours and circulatory system diseases, which caused the deaths of 1,535 and 1,154 individuals, respectively, which mean that together they caused 57.7% of deaths. As a third cause of death were respiratory diseases, which resulted in 332 deaths (7,1%).

Diseases of the nervous system, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, saw the largest increase with respect to the same quarter of the previous year, at 11.2%.

Tumours were the main cause of death among men, to the extent that they exceed the death rate by this cause among women by 34%. For women, cardiovascular diseases caused the most deaths, 16% more than among men. The third most common cause of death for men were respiratory diseases, 18% more than women, whereas the nervous system caused 36% more female than male deaths.

Population growth in the Basque Country was positive in the third quarter of 2015, with birth exceeding deaths by 173 individuals. They rose in two of the three provinces: The population of Álava increased by 231 inhabitants and Gipuzkoa by 88. On the other hand, Bizkaia saw a reduction of 146 inhabitants.

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 death statistics of the Basque Country Databank on the death statistics of the Basque Country