Press Release 02/10/2017
Deaths rose by 9.6% in the first quarter of 2017
The increase reached 15.9% for women, whilst for men it was 3.3%
In the first quarter of 2017 the number of deaths in the Basque Country stood at 6,249, 9.6% down on the same period of the previous year, according to Eustat data. This increase brings the death figures back to the 2015 level, following the significant decrease seen in 2016.
By province, in Álava there were 801 deaths, in Bizkaia there were 3,367 and in Gipuzkoa 2,081 people died. By sex, 2,964 men and 3,285 women died, which translate as increases of 3.3% and 15.9%, respectively.
The main causes of death were circulatory system diseases and tumours, which caused the deaths of 1,668 and 1,572 individuals, respectively, which mean that together they accounted for 51.8% of deaths. As a third cause of death were respiratory diseases, which resulted in 966 deaths (15.5%).
Deaths by diseases of the respiratory system increased by 50.2%
During the first quarter of 2017, 966 individuals died from these illnesses, 50.2% up on the same quarter of 2016 (643 deaths), and 76.3% up on the fourth quarter of 2016 (548 deaths).
Diseases affecting the nervous system, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, caused 437 deaths in the months of January, February and March, 13.2% more than in the same quarter of the previous year.
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, 4 corresponded to children under 1 year of age – 1 girl and 3 boys.
Population growth in the Basque Country in the first quarter of 2017 was negative, with a population decrease of 2,199. The population decreased in the three territories: by 1,395 people in Bizkaia, 716 in Gipuzkoa and 88 in Álava.
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