Press Release 13/05/2024
DEATH STATISTICS IV/2023
Deaths decreased by 3.9% in the fourth quarter of 2023 in the Basque Country
In 2023 as a whole deaths fell by 7.8% and there was a 79.4% decrease in deaths due to COVID-19
In the fourth quarter of 2023 the number of deaths in the Basque Country stood at 5,699, 3.9% down on the same period of the previous year, according to Eustat data. In this quarter there were 231 fewer deaths compared to the same quarter of the previous year and 442 more than the average for the period 2010-2019 in the four quarters.
By province, of particular note was the decrease in deaths in Gipuzkoa, which in this quarter was 4.8% in respect of the same quarter of the previous year (with 1,840 deaths); in Bizkaia (with 3,087 deaths) the decrease was 3.9% and in Álava (772 deaths) it was 1.8%. By sex, 2,920 women and 2,779 men died, which was a decrease of 2.9% for women and 4.9% for men.
Amongst the deaths that occurred in this quarter, 11 corresponded to children under 1 year of age and 138 to centenarians.
Deaths by territory of residence, age, sex and month of death (1). 2023/IV
| | IV/2023 | III/2023 | IV/2022 |
| | NO. | % | NO. | % | Increase % | NO. | % | Increase % |
| DEATHS | 5.699 | 100,0 | 5.127 | 100,0 | 11,2 | 5.930 | 100,0 | -3,9 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Territory of residence | | | | | | | | |
| Araba / Álava | 772 | 13,5 | 654 | 12,8 | 18,0 | 786 | 13,3 | -1,8 |
| Bizkaia | 3.087 | 54,2 | 2.747 | 53,6 | 12,4 | 3.211 | 54,1 | -3,9 |
| Gipuzkoa | 1.840 | 32,3 | 1.726 | 33,7 | 6,6 | 1.933 | 32,6 | -4,8 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Age | | | | | | | | |
| Under 1 years | 11 | 0,2 | 9 | 0,2 | 22,2 | 11 | 0,2 | 0,0 |
| 1-19 years | 10 | 0,2 | 5 | 0,1 | 100,0 | 8 | 0,1 | 25,0 |
| 20-39 years | 36 | 0,6 | 37 | 0,7 | -2,7 | 38 | 0,6 | -5,3 |
| 40-59 years | 349 | 6,1 | 310 | 6,0 | 12,6 | 389 | 6,6 | -10,3 |
| 60-79 years | 1.619 | 28,4 | 1.504 | 29,3 | 7,6 | 1.618 | 27,3 | 0,1 |
| 80-99 years | 3.536 | 62,0 | 3.171 | 61,8 | 11,5 | 3.772 | 63,6 | -6,3 |
| 100 or more years | 138 | 2,4 | 91 | 1,8 | 51,6 | 94 | 1,6 | 46,8 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Men | 2.779 | 100,0 | 2.595 | 100,0 | 7,1 | 2.923 | 100,0 | -4,9 |
| Under 1 years | 6 | 0,2 | 2 | 0,1 | 200,0 | 8 | 0,3 | -25,0 |
| 1-19 years | 6 | 0,2 | 3 | 0,1 | 100,0 | 6 | 0,2 | 0,0 |
| 20-39 years | 27 | 1,0 | 26 | 1,0 | 3,8 | 23 | 0,8 | 17,4 |
| 40-59 years | 222 | 8,0 | 206 | 7,9 | 7,8 | 255 | 8,7 | -12,9 |
| 60-79 years | 1.043 | 37,5 | 989 | 38,1 | 5,5 | 1.044 | 35,7 | -0,1 |
| 80-99 years | 1.448 | 52,1 | 1.361 | 52,4 | 6,4 | 1.582 | 54,1 | -8,5 |
| 100 or more years | 27 | 1,0 | 8 | 0,3 | 237,5 | 5 | 0,2 | 440,0 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Women | 2.920 | 100,0 | 2.532 | 100,0 | 15,3 | 3.007 | 100,0 | -2,9 |
| Under 1 years | 5 | 0,2 | 7 | 0,3 | -28,6 | 3 | 0,1 | 66,7 |
| 1-19 years | 4 | 0,1 | 2 | 0,1 | 100,0 | 2 | 0,1 | 100,0 |
| 20-39 years | 9 | 0,3 | 11 | 0,4 | -18,2 | 15 | 0,5 | -40,0 |
| 40-59 years | 127 | 4,3 | 104 | 4,1 | 22,1 | 134 | 4,5 | -5,2 |
| 60-79 years | 576 | 19,7 | 515 | 20,3 | 11,8 | 574 | 19,1 | 0,3 |
| 80-99 years | 2.088 | 71,5 | 1.810 | 71,5 | 15,4 | 2.190 | 72,8 | -4,7 |
| 100 or more years | 111 | 3,8 | 83 | 3,3 | 33,7 | 89 | 3,0 | 24,7 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| MONTH OF DEATH | | | | | | | | |
| October | 1.760 | 30,9 | | | | 1.952 | 32,9 | -9,8 |
| November | 1.843 | 32,3 | | | | 1.839 | 31,0 | 0,2 |
| December | 2.096 | 36,8 | | | | 2.139 | 36,1 | -2,0 |
| (1)The data for the current and previous quarters are provisional. The variations are over the current quarter | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
Date May 13, 2024
Source: Eustat. Death statistics
The main causes of death were tumours and circulatory system diseases, which caused the deaths of 1,600 and 1,407 individuals respectively, which means that together they accounted for 52.8% of deaths. The third cause of death was diseases of the respiratory system, with 446 cases (7.8%). Diseases of the nervous system and the digestive system accounted for 7.3% and 4.3% of deaths, respectively.
The causes of death still varied according to gender: among men, tumours were the leading cause of death (34.2%) and diseases of the circulatory system were the second (24.2%); among women, the opposite occurred: diseases of the circulatory system (25.2%) were the main cause of death, whereas tumours (22.3%) were the second.
Deaths by cause of death and sex (1). 2023/IV
| | IV/2023 | III/2023 | IV/2022 |
| | NO. | % | NO. | % | Increase % | NO. | % | Increase % |
| DEATHS | 5.699 | 100,0 | 5.127 | 100,0 | 11,2 | 5.930 | 100,0 | -3,9 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Cause of death | | | | | | | | |
| Total | | | | | | | | |
| Tumors | 1.600 | 28,1 | 1.534 | 29,9 | 4,3 | 1.634 | 27,6 | -2,1 |
| Circulatory system | 1.407 | 24,7 | 1.194 | 23,3 | 17,8 | 1.433 | 24,2 | -1,8 |
| Respiratory system | 446 | 7,8 | 301 | 5,9 | 48,2 | 463 | 7,8 | -3,7 |
| Nervous system | 415 | 7,3 | 342 | 6,7 | 21,3 | 401 | 6,8 | 3,5 |
| Digestive system | 246 | 4,3 | 233 | 4,5 | 5,6 | 285 | 4,8 | -13,7 |
| Other causes | 1.585 | 27,8 | 1.523 | 29,7 | 4,1 | 1.714 | 28,9 | -7,5 |
| COVID-19 confirmed | 74 | 1,3 | 121 | 2,4 | -38,8 | 200 | 3,4 | -63,0 |
| COVID-19 probable | 0 | 0,0 | 0 | 0,0 | 0,0 | 1 | 0,0 | -100,0 |
| Other causes | 1.511 | 26,5 | 1.402 | 27,3 | 7,8 | 1.513 | 25,5 | -0,1 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Men | | | | | | | | |
| Tumors | 950 | 34,2 | 919 | 35,4 | 3,4 | 973 | 33,3 | -2,4 |
| Circulatory system | 672 | 24,2 | 581 | 22,4 | 15,7 | 668 | 22,9 | 0,6 |
| Respiratory system | 222 | 8,0 | 169 | 6,5 | 31,4 | 242 | 8,3 | -8,3 |
| Nervous system | 169 | 6,1 | 139 | 5,4 | 21,6 | 172 | 5,9 | -1,7 |
| Digestive system | 125 | 4,5 | 135 | 5,2 | -7,4 | 155 | 5,3 | -19,4 |
| Other causes | 641 | 23,1 | 652 | 25,1 | -1,7 | 713 | 24,4 | -10,1 |
| COVID-19 confirmed | 42 | 1,5 | 60 | 2,3 | -30,0 | 99 | 3,4 | -57,6 |
| COVID-19 probable | 0 | 0,0 | 0 | 0,0 | 0,0 | 1 | 0,0 | -100,0 |
| Other causes | 599 | 21,6 | 592 | 22,8 | 1,2 | 613 | 21,0 | -2,3 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Women | | | | | | | | |
| Tumors | 650 | 22,3 | 615 | 24,3 | 5,7 | 661 | 22,0 | -1,7 |
| Circulatory system | 735 | 25,2 | 613 | 24,2 | 19,9 | 765 | 25,4 | -3,9 |
| Respiratory system | 224 | 7,7 | 132 | 5,2 | 69,7 | 221 | 7,3 | 1,4 |
| Nervous system | 246 | 8,4 | 203 | 8,0 | 21,2 | 229 | 7,6 | 7,4 |
| Digestive system | 121 | 4,1 | 98 | 3,9 | 23,5 | 130 | 4,3 | -6,9 |
| Other causes | 944 | 32,3 | 871 | 34,4 | 8,4 | 1.001 | 33,3 | -5,7 |
| COVID-19 confirmed | 32 | 1,1 | 61 | 2,4 | -47,5 | 101 | 3,4 | -68,3 |
| COVID-19 probable | 0 | 0,0 | 0 | 0,0 | 0,0 | 0 | 0,0 | 0,0 |
| Other causes | 912 | 31,2 | 810 | 32,0 | 12,6 | 900 | 29,9 | 1,3 |
| (1)The data for the current quarter is provisional. The variations are over the current quarter | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
Date May 13, 2024
Source: Eustat. Death statistics
There were 74 deaths due to COVID-19 in the fourth quarter of 2023, 63.2% down on the same period of the previous year
In the fourth quarter there were 74 deaths due to COVID-19, representing 1.3% of the total; COVID-19 was confirmed in all these deaths. There were a further 20 deaths where COVID-19 was among the certified causes of death, but without being the main cause.
By province, the highest figure corresponded to Bizkaia, with 48, followed by Álava with 14 and Gipuzkoa with 12. As regards the capitals, Bilbao stands out with 17 deaths caused by COVID-19, followed by Vitoria-Gasteiz with 10 and Donostia/San Sebastián with 3.
The same number of men as women died from COVID-19 (32), while in terms of age, it is worth noting that 98.6% of the deaths caused by COVID-19 occurred among those over 60 years of age and 73% among people aged over 80.
The majority of these deaths occurred in Basque hospitals (86.5%), followed by at home (10.8%).
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. 2023/IV
| | Total deaths | Total COVID-19 | COVID-19 confirmed | COVID-19 probable |
| | | | | |
| Basque Country | 5.699 | 74 | 74 | 0 |
| | | | | |
| Historic Territories of Residence | | | | |
| Araba/Álava | 772 | 14 | 14 | 0 |
| Bizkaia | 3.087 | 48 | 48 | 0 |
| Gipuzkoa | 1.840 | 12 | 12 | 0 |
| | | | | |
| Municipality of residence (>40,000 inhabitants) | | | | |
| Barakaldo | 289 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Basauri | 136 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Bilbao | 1.006 | 17 | 17 | 0 |
| Donostia / San Sebastian | 478 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Getxo | 191 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Irun | 136 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Portugalete | 146 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Santurtzi | 116 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Vitoria-Gasteiz | 548 | 10 | 10 | 0 |
| | | | | |
| Sex | | | | |
| Man | 2.779 | 42 | 42 | 0 |
| Woman | 2.920 | 32 | 32 | 0 |
| | | | | |
| Age | | | | |
| Aged under 40 | 57 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| From 40 to 59 years | 349 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| From 60 to 79 years | 1.619 | 19 | 19 | 0 |
| 80 or older | 3.674 | 54 | 54 | 0 |
Date May 13, 2024
Source: Eustat. Death statistics
BALANCE FOR 2023
The provisional data totals for 2023 recorded 22,310 deaths, of which 11,279 were women and 11,031 were men. The number of deaths decreased by 7.8% compared to 2022. By province, the decrease was 9.6% in Gipuzkoa (with11,886 deaths); 8% in Álava (with 2,916 deaths); and 4.6% in Bizkaia (with 7,508 deaths).
Amongst the deaths that occurred last year, 35 corresponded to children under one year of age. This was lower than in 2022, when 41 children under one year of age died. On the other hand, 440 people died at the age of 100 or over, 23 more than in 2022.
With provisional data from 2023, population growth in the Basque Country was negative with deaths exceeding births by 8,889 individuals. For this reason, by province the population decreased by 5,239 inhabitants in Bizkaia, 2,948 in Gipuzkoa and 702 in Álava.
In 2023 there were a total of 354 deaths due to COVID-19 (all confirmed by a specific analysis), i.e. 79.4% less that the 1,721 of the previous year. In 2021 there were 1,682 deaths due to COVID-19 and in 2020 there were 3,096.
It should be pointed out that COVID-19 was present in a further 96 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