Press Release 15/05/2023
DEATH STATISTICS IV/2022
Deaths fell by 3.3% in the fourth quarter of 2022 in the Basque Country
In 2022 as a whole deaths increased by 4.7% in respect of 2021 and those due to COVID-19 also rose by 1.8%
In the fourth quarter of 2022 the number of deaths in the Basque Country stood at 5,908, 3.3% down on the same period of the previous year, according to Eustat data. In this quarter there were 203 fewer deaths compared to the same quarter of the previous year and 651 more than the average for the period 2010-2019.
By province, of particular note was Gipuzkoa, given that deaths were down 4.5% this quarter in respect of the same quarter of the previous year; in Álava the decrease was 3.1% and in Bizkaia it stood at 2.6%. By sex, 2,995 women and 2,913 men died, which was a decrease of 3.6% for women and 3% for men.
Amongst the deaths that occurred in this quarter, 11 corresponded to children under 1 year of age and 94 to centenarians.
Deaths by territory of residence, age, sex and month of death (1). 2022/IV
| | IV/2022 | III/2022 | IV/2021 |
| | NO. | % | NO. | % | Increase % | NO. | % | Increase % |
| DEATHS | 5.908 | 100,0 | 6.036 | 100,0 | -2,1 | 6.111 | 100,0 | -3,3 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Territory of residence | | | | | | | | |
| Araba / Álava | 782 | 13,2 | 758 | 12,6 | 3,2 | 807 | 13,2 | -3,1 |
| Bizkaia | 3.195 | 54,1 | 3.338 | 55,3 | -4,3 | 3.281 | 53,7 | -2,6 |
| Gipuzkoa | 1.931 | 32,7 | 1.940 | 32,1 | -0,5 | 2.023 | 33,1 | -4,5 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Age | | | | | | | | |
| Under 1 years | 11 | 0,2 | 8 | 0,1 | 37,5 | 6 | 0,1 | 83,3 |
| 1-19 years | 8 | 0,1 | 13 | 0,2 | -38,5 | 14 | 0,2 | -42,9 |
| 20-39 years | 36 | 0,6 | 50 | 0,8 | -28,0 | 31 | 0,5 | 16,1 |
| 40-59 years | 385 | 6,5 | 368 | 6,1 | 4,6 | 405 | 6,6 | -4,9 |
| 60-79 years | 1.610 | 27,3 | 1.726 | 28,6 | -6,7 | 1.670 | 27,3 | -3,6 |
| 80-99 years | 3.764 | 63,7 | 3.762 | 62,3 | 0,1 | 3.885 | 63,6 | -3,1 |
| 100 or more years | 94 | 1,6 | 109 | 1,8 | -13,8 | 100 | 1,6 | -6,0 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Men | 2.913 | 49,3 | 2.923 | 48,4 | -0,3 | 3.003 | 49,1 | -3,0 |
| Under 1 years | 8 | 0,3 | 6 | 0,2 | 33,3 | 4 | 0,1 | 100,0 |
| 1-19 years | 6 | 0,2 | 9 | 0,3 | -33,3 | 9 | 0,3 | -33,3 |
| 20-39 years | 21 | 0,7 | 43 | 1,5 | -51,2 | 22 | 0,7 | -4,5 |
| 40-59 years | 252 | 8,7 | 234 | 8,0 | 7,7 | 258 | 8,6 | -2,3 |
| 60-79 years | 1.039 | 35,7 | 1.089 | 37,3 | -4,6 | 1.071 | 35,7 | -3,0 |
| 80-99 years | 1.582 | 54,3 | 1.528 | 52,3 | 3,5 | 1.624 | 54,1 | -2,6 |
| 100 or more years | 5 | 0,2 | 14 | 0,5 | -64,3 | 15 | 0,5 | -66,7 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Women | 2.995 | 50,7 | 3.113 | 51,6 | -3,8 | 3.108 | 50,9 | -3,6 |
| Under 1 years | 3 | 0,1 | 2 | 0,1 | 50,0 | 2 | 0,1 | 50,0 |
| 1-19 years | 2 | 0,1 | 4 | 0,1 | -50,0 | 5 | 0,2 | -60,0 |
| 20-39 years | 15 | 0,5 | 7 | 0,2 | 114,3 | 9 | 0,3 | 66,7 |
| 40-59 years | 133 | 4,4 | 134 | 4,3 | -0,7 | 147 | 4,7 | -9,5 |
| 60-79 years | 571 | 19,1 | 637 | 20,5 | -10,4 | 599 | 19,3 | -4,7 |
| 80-99 years | 2.182 | 72,9 | 2.234 | 71,8 | -2,3 | 2.261 | 72,7 | -3,5 |
| 100 or more years | 89 | 3,0 | 95 | 3,1 | -6,3 | 85 | 2,7 | 4,7 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| MONTH OF DEATH | | | | | | | | |
| October | 1.951 | 33,0 | | | | 1.881 | 30,8 | 3,7 |
| November | 1.831 | 31,0 | | | | 1.963 | 32,1 | -6,7 |
| December | 2.126 | 36,0 | | | | 2.267 | 37,1 | -6,2 |
| (1)The data for the current and previous quarters are provisional. The variations are over the current quarter | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
Date May 15, 2023
Source: Eustat. Death statistics
The main causes of death were tumours and circulatory system diseases, which caused the deaths of 1,626 and 1,379 individuals respectively, which means that together they accounted for 50.8% of deaths. As a third cause of death was diseases of the respiratory system, with 459 cases (7.8%). Diseases of the nervous system and the digestive system accounted for 6.8% and 4.8% of deaths, respectively.
The causes of the deaths still varied according to gender: among men, tumours were the leading cause of death (33.3%) and diseases of the circulatory system were the second (21.5%); among women, the opposite occurred: diseases of the circulatory system (25.2%) were the main cause of death, whereas tumours (21.9%) were the second.
Deaths by cause of death and sex (1). 2022/IV
| | IV/2022 | III/2022 | IV/2021 |
| | NO. | % | NO. | % | Increase % | NO. | % | Increase % |
| DEATHS | 5.908 | 100,0 | 6.036 | 100,0 | -2,1 | 6.111 | 100,0 | -3,3 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Cause of death | | | | | | | | |
| Total | | | | | | | | |
| Tumors | 1.626 | 27,5 | 1.611 | 26,7 | 0,9 | 1.589 | 26,0 | 2,3 |
| Circulatory system | 1.379 | 23,3 | 1.372 | 22,7 | 0,5 | 1.705 | 27,9 | -19,1 |
| Respiratory system | 459 | 7,8 | 374 | 6,2 | 22,7 | 427 | 7,0 | 7,5 |
| Nervous system | 400 | 6,8 | 400 | 6,6 | 0,0 | 418 | 6,8 | -4,3 |
| Digestive system | 281 | 4,8 | 289 | 4,8 | -2,8 | 301 | 4,9 | -6,6 |
| Other causes | 1.763 | 29,8 | 1.990 | 33,0 | -11,4 | 1.671 | 27,3 | 5,5 |
| COVID-19 confirmed | 199 | 3,4 | 369 | 6,1 | -46,1 | 259 | 4,2 | -23,2 |
| COVID-19 probable | 1 | 0,0 | 0 | 0,0 | 0,0 | 4 | 0,1 | -75,0 |
| Other causes | 1.563 | 26,5 | 1.621 | 26,9 | -3,6 | 1.408 | 23,0 | 11,0 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Men | | | | | | | | |
| Tumors | 969 | 33,3 | 925 | 31,6 | 4,8 | 929 | 30,9 | 4,3 |
| Circulatory system | 625 | 21,5 | 633 | 21,7 | -1,3 | 779 | 25,9 | -19,8 |
| Respiratory system | 241 | 8,3 | 197 | 6,7 | 22,3 | 253 | 8,4 | -4,7 |
| Nervous system | 171 | 5,9 | 156 | 5,3 | 9,6 | 162 | 5,4 | 5,6 |
| Digestive system | 155 | 5,3 | 144 | 4,9 | 7,6 | 152 | 5,1 | 2,0 |
| Other causes | 752 | 25,8 | 868 | 29,7 | -13,4 | 728 | 24,2 | 3,3 |
| COVID-19 confirmed | 99 | 3,4 | 191 | 6,5 | -48,2 | 151 | 5,0 | -34,4 |
| COVID-19 probable | 1 | 0,0 | 0 | 0,0 | 0,0 | 1 | 0,0 | 0,0 |
| Other causes | 652 | 22,4 | 677 | 23,2 | -3,7 | 576 | 19,2 | 13,2 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Women | | | | | | | | |
| Tumors | 657 | 21,9 | 686 | 22,0 | -4,2 | 660 | 21,2 | -0,5 |
| Circulatory system | 754 | 25,2 | 739 | 23,7 | 2,0 | 926 | 29,8 | -18,6 |
| Respiratory system | 218 | 7,3 | 177 | 5,7 | 23,2 | 174 | 5,6 | 25,3 |
| Nervous system | 229 | 7,6 | 244 | 7,8 | -6,1 | 256 | 8,2 | -10,5 |
| Digestive system | 126 | 4,2 | 145 | 4,7 | -13,1 | 149 | 4,8 | -15,4 |
| Other causes | 1.011 | 33,8 | 1.122 | 36,0 | -9,9 | 943 | 30,3 | 7,2 |
| COVID-19 confirmed | 100 | 3,3 | 178 | 5,7 | -43,8 | 108 | 3,5 | -7,4 |
| COVID-19 probable | 0 | 0,0 | 0 | 0,0 | 0,0 | 3 | 0,1 | -100,0 |
| Other causes | 911 | 30,4 | 944 | 30,3 | -3,5 | 832 | 26,8 | 9,5 |
| (1)The data for the current and previous quarters are provisional. The variations are over the current quarter | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
Date May 15, 2023
Source: Eustat. Death statistics
There were 200 deaths due to COVID-19 in the fourth quarter of 2022, 23.9% down on the same period of the previous year
In the fourth quarter there were 200 deaths due to COVID-19, representing 3.4% of the total. They fall into 2 groups: 199 confirmed COVID-19 deaths and 1 probable COVID-19 death; there were a further 52 deaths in which COVID-19 was among the certified causes of death, but without being the main cause.
By province, the highest figure corresponded to Bizkaia, with 109, followed by Gipuzkoa with 57 and Álava with 34. As regards the capitals, Bilbao stands out with 33 deaths caused by COVID-19, followed by Vitoria-Gasteiz with 25 and Donostia/San Sebastián with 8. Also of note were Getxo, with 12 deaths, and Barakaldo with 9.
The same number of men as women dies from COVID-19 (100), while in terms of age, it is worth noting that 98.5% of the deaths caused by COVID-19 occurred among those over 60 years of age and 75% among people aged over 80.
The majority of these deaths occurred in Basque hospitals (82%), followed by at home (9.5%).
Deaths of the Basque Country by provinces, municipality (>40,000 hab.) of residence, sex and age according to causes of death related to COVID-19. 2022/IV
| | Total deaths | Total COVID-19 | COVID-19 confirmed | COVID-19 probable |
| | | | | |
| Basque Country | 5.908 | 200 | 199 | 1 |
| | | | | |
| Historic Territories of Residence | | | | |
| Araba/Álava | 782 | 34 | 34 | 0 |
| Bizkaia | 3.195 | 109 | 108 | 1 |
| Gipuzkoa | 1.931 | 57 | 57 | 0 |
| | | | | |
| Municipality of residence (>40,000 inhabitants) | | | | |
| Barakaldo | 271 | 9 | 9 | 0 |
| Basauri | 110 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Bilbao | 1.009 | 33 | 33 | 0 |
| Donostia / San Sebastian | 535 | 8 | 8 | 0 |
| Getxo | 230 | 12 | 12 | 0 |
| Irun | 153 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| Portugalete | 146 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Santurtzi | 124 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| Vitoria-Gasteiz | 586 | 25 | 25 | 0 |
| | | | | |
| Sex | | | | |
| Man | 2.913 | 100 | 99 | 1 |
| Woman | 2.995 | 100 | 100 | 0 |
| | | | | |
| Age | | | | |
| Aged under 40 | 55 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| From 40 to 59 years | 385 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| From 60 to 79 years | 1.610 | 47 | 47 | 0 |
| 80 or older | 3.858 | 150 | 149 | 1 |
Date May 15, 2023
Source: Eustat. Death statistics
BALANCE FOR 2022
The provisional data totals for 2022 recorded 24,160 deaths, of which 12,314 were women and 11,846 were men. In respect of 2021, the number of deaths rose by 4.7% and in respect of 2019, prior to the pandemic, the increase was 12%. By province, this increase was 6.5% in Álava, 5.1% in Bizkaia and 3.3% in Gipuzkoa.
Among the deaths that occurred last year, 40 corresponded to children under one year of age. This was higher than in 2021, when 35 children under one year of age died. On the other hand, 417 people died at the age of 100 or over, 81 more than in 2021.
With provisional data from 2022, population growth in the Basque Country was negative with deaths exceeding births by 10,547 individuals. By province, for this reason the population decreased by 6,286 inhabitants in Bizkaia, 3,363 in Gipuzkoa and 898 in Álava.
In 2022 there were a total of 1,713 deaths due to COVID-19, as compared to the 1,682 in the previous year (+1.8%) and the 3096 deaths in 2020 (-44.7%). Among these, 1,705 were confirmed by a specific analysis, while 8 were diagnosed as likely cases of COVID-19.
It should be pointed out that COVID-19 was present in a further 574 individuals who died in these same months, but it was not the main cause of death according to the death certificates and applying the World Health Organisation criteria for coding causes of death.
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