Press Release 27/05/2019

DEATH STATISTICS. IV/2018

Deaths fell by 7.1% in the fourth quarter of 2018 in the Basque Country

In 2018 as a whole, the number of deaths was up 0.5% compared to 2017

In the fourth quarter of 2018 the number of deaths in the Basque Country stood at 5,238, 7.1% down on the same quarter of 2017, according to Eustat data. By province, in Álava there were 706 deaths, in Bizkaia there were 2,851 and in Gipuzkoa 1,681 people died.

20 children under one year of age, 12 girls and 8 boys, died in this quarter. The number of deaths amongst centenarians in the fourth quarter of 2018 rose to 82, 9 men and 73 women.

Tumours were the main cause of death

30.5% of the deaths that occurred in the fourth quarter of 2018, or 1,598 cases, were due to tumours. Following these were deaths caused by diseases of the circulatory system, 26.4% (1,381 deaths) and, in third place, some way behind, were deaths caused by diseases of the respiratory system, which accounted for 9.8% (511).

The cause of death varied according to sex: amongst men, tumours caused 10.1 percentage points more deaths than those deriving from diseases of the circulatory system in the fourth quarter of 2018. The main cause of death amongst women was cardiovascular disease, followed in second place by tumours, although in this case the difference between them was just 2 percentage points.

BALANCE FOR 2018

The provisional data totals for 2018 recorded 21,738 deaths, of which 10,863 were women and 10,875 were men. The number of deaths increased by 0.5% compared to 2017.

Amongst the deaths that occurred last year, 53 corresponded to children under one year of age, 29 girls and 24 boys. This was higher than in 2017, when 41 children under one year of age died. On the other hand, 295 people died at the age of 100 or more, 251 women and 44 men, 10 women and 11 men more than in 2017.

Population growth was negative in the three provinces

With provisional data from 2018, population growth in the Basque Country was negative with deaths exceeding births by 5,648 individuals. By province, in Bizkaia the difference stood at 4,009 fewer people, in Gipuzkoa the population fell by 1,563 and in Álava it decreased by 76.

For further information:

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