Press Release 18/05/2020

DEATH STATISTICS. IV/2019

Deaths increased by 5% in the fourth quarter of 2019 in the Basque Country

In 2019 as a whole, the number of deaths was down 0.9% compared to 2018

In the fourth quarter of 2019 the number of deaths in the Basque Country stood at 5,504, 5% up on the same period of 2018, according to Eustat data. By province, in Álava there were 713 deaths, in Bizkaia there were 3,028 and in Gipuzkoa 1,763 people died.

7 children under one year of age, 4 girls and 3 boys, died in this quarter. The number of deaths amongst centenarians in the fourth quarter of 2019 rose to 82, 16 men and 66 women.

Tumours were the main cause of death

28.7% of the deaths that occurred in the fourth quarter of 2019, or 1,578 cases, were due to tumours. Following these were deaths caused by diseases of the circulatory system, 26.2% (1,440 deaths) and, in third place, some way behind, were deaths caused by diseases of the respiratory system, which accounted for 8.4% (462).

The cause of death varied according to sex: amongst men, tumours caused 9.6 percentage points more deaths than those deriving from diseases of the circulatory system in the fourth quarter of 2019. 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 4.6 percentage points.

BALANCE FOR 2019

The provisional data totals for 2019 recorded 21,542 deaths, of which 10,794 were women and 10,748 were men. The number of deaths decreased 0.9% compared to 2018.

Amongst the deaths that occurred last year, 43 corresponded to children under one year of age, 19 girls and 24 boys. This was lower than in 2018, when 52 children under one year of age died. On the other hand, 306 people died at the age of 100 or more, 248 women and 58 men; 14 more men and 3 fewer women than in 2018.

Population growth was negative in the three provinces

With provisional data from 2019, population growth in the Basque Country was negative with deaths exceeding births by 6,142 individuals. By province, for this reason the population decreased by 4,251 inhabitants in Bizkaia, 1,721 in Gipuzkoa and 170 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