Press Release 01/10/2018

DEATH STATISTICS I/2018

Deaths rose by 2.4% in the first quarter of 2018

The increase reached 6.1% for men, whereas there was a decrease of for 0.9% for women

In the first quarter of 2018 the number of deaths in the Basque Country stood at 6,409, 2.4% down on the same period of the previous year, according to Eustat data.

By province, in Álava there were 789 deaths, in Bizkaia there were 3,505 and in Gipuzkoa 2,115 people died. By sex, 3,151 men and 3,258 women died, which was an increase of 6.1% for men and a decrease of 0.9% for women.

The main causes of death were circulatory system diseases and tumours, which caused the deaths of 1,761 and 1,618 people, respectively, which mean that together they accounted for 52.7% of deaths. Respiratory diseases, which resulted in 919 deaths (14.3%), were the third cause of death.

Deaths by diseases of the respiratory system increased by 21.2%

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 2018 919 people died from these illnesses, 5% down on the same quarter of the previous year (967 deaths) but 62.7% up on the fourth quarter of 2017 (565 deaths).

There were 292 deaths as a result of digestive diseases, 21.2% up on the same period of the previous year. Diseases affecting the nervous system, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, caused 439 deaths in the months of January, February and March, which was no variation compared to 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, 12 corresponded to children under 1 year of age, with an identical number of girls and boys: 6.

Population growth in the Basque Country in the first quarter of 2018 was negative, with a population decrease of 2,542. The population decreased in the three territories: by 1,606 people in Bizkaia, 825 in Gipuzkoa and 111 in Álava.

For further information:

Eustat - Euskal Estatistika Erakundea / Basque Statistics Institute C/ Donostia-San Sebastián, 1 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz Press Service: servicioprensa@eustat.es Tel: 945 01 75 62