Press Release 12/05/2025
DEATH STATISTICS IV/2024
Deaths in the Basque Country fell by 3.3% in the fourth quarter of 2024
In 2024 as a whole, the number of deaths rose by 0.3% compared to 2023
In the fourth quarter of 2024 the number of deaths in the Basque Country stood at 5,512, 3.3% less than the same period of the previous year, according to Eustat data. In this quarter there were 190 fewer deaths compared to the same quarter of the previous year and 255 more than the average for 2010-2019.
By province, in Bizkaia and Álava there was a decrease of 5.3% and 4.9% respectively. However, in Gipuzkoa, the number of deaths rose 0.7%. By sex, 2,802 women and 2,710 men died, which was a decrease of 4.1% for women and 2.6% for men.
Amongst the deaths that occurred in this quarter, 4 corresponded to children under 1 year of age and 108 to centenarians.
Deaths by territory of residence, age, sex and month of death (1). 2024/IV
| | IV/2024 | III/2024 | IV/2023 |
| | NO. | % | NO. | % | Increase % | NO. | % | Increase % |
| DEATHS | 5.512 | 100,0 | 5.253 | 100,0 | 4,9 | 5.702 | 100,0 | -3,3 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Territory of residence | | | | | | | | |
| Araba / Álava | 734 | 13,3 | 711 | 13,5 | 3,2 | 772 | 13,5 | -4,9 |
| Bizkaia | 2.925 | 53,1 | 2.839 | 54,0 | 3,0 | 3.089 | 54,2 | -5,3 |
| Gipuzkoa | 1.853 | 33,6 | 1.703 | 32,4 | 8,8 | 1.841 | 32,3 | 0,7 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Age | | | | | | | | |
| Under 1 years | 4 | 0,1 | 6 | 0,1 | -33,3 | 11 | 0,2 | -63,6 |
| 1-19 years | 12 | 0,2 | 8 | 0,2 | 50,0 | 10 | 0,2 | 20,0 |
| 20-39 years | 34 | 0,6 | 43 | 0,8 | -20,9 | 36 | 0,6 | -5,6 |
| 40-59 years | 328 | 6,0 | 303 | 5,8 | 8,3 | 350 | 6,1 | -6,3 |
| 60-79 years | 1.552 | 28,2 | 1.541 | 29,3 | 0,7 | 1.619 | 28,4 | -4,1 |
| 80-99 years | 3.474 | 63,0 | 3.262 | 62,1 | 6,5 | 3.538 | 62,0 | -1,8 |
| 100 or more years | 108 | 2,0 | 90 | 1,7 | 20,0 | 138 | 2,4 | -21,7 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Men | 2.710 | 100,0 | 2.618 | 100,0 | 3,5 | 2.781 | 100,0 | -2,6 |
| Under 1 years | 2 | 0,1 | 3 | 0,1 | -33,3 | 6 | 0,2 | -66,7 |
| 1-19 years | 5 | 0,2 | 4 | 0,2 | 25,0 | 6 | 0,2 | -16,7 |
| 20-39 years | 24 | 0,9 | 27 | 1,0 | -11,1 | 27 | 1,0 | -11,1 |
| 40-59 years | 211 | 7,8 | 196 | 7,5 | 7,7 | 223 | 8,0 | -5,4 |
| 60-79 years | 991 | 36,6 | 1.024 | 39,1 | -3,2 | 1.043 | 37,5 | -5,0 |
| 80-99 years | 1.464 | 54,0 | 1.349 | 51,5 | 8,5 | 1.449 | 52,1 | 1,0 |
| 100 or more years | 13 | 0,5 | 15 | 0,6 | -13,3 | 27 | 1,0 | -51,9 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Women | 2.802 | 100,0 | 2.635 | 100,0 | 6,3 | 2.921 | 100,0 | -4,1 |
| Under 1 years | 2 | 0,1 | 3 | 0,1 | -33,3 | 5 | 0,2 | -60,0 |
| 1-19 years | 7 | 0,2 | 4 | 0,2 | 75,0 | 4 | 0,1 | 75,0 |
| 20-39 years | 10 | 0,4 | 16 | 0,6 | -37,5 | 9 | 0,3 | 11,1 |
| 40-59 years | 117 | 4,2 | 107 | 4,1 | 9,3 | 127 | 4,3 | -7,9 |
| 60-79 years | 561 | 20,0 | 517 | 19,6 | 8,5 | 576 | 19,7 | -2,6 |
| 80-99 years | 2.010 | 71,7 | 1.913 | 72,6 | 5,1 | 2.089 | 71,5 | -3,8 |
| 100 or more years | 95 | 3,4 | 75 | 2,8 | 26,7 | 111 | 3,8 | -14,4 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| MONTH OF DEATH | | | | | | | | |
| October | 1.817 | 33,0 | | | | 1.761 | 30,9 | 3,2 |
| November | 1.725 | 31,3 | | | | 1.843 | 32,3 | -6,4 |
| December | 1.970 | 35,7 | | | | 2.098 | 36,8 | -6,1 |
| (1)The data for the current and previous quarters are provisional. The variations are over the current quarter | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
Date May 12, 2025
Source: Eustat. Death statistics
The main causes of death were tumours and diseases of the circulatory system, which caused the deaths of 1,512 and 1,446 individuals respectively, which means that together they accounted for 53.6% of deaths. The third cause of death was diseases of the respiratory system, with 395 cases (7.2%). Diseases of the nervous system and the digestive system accounted for 6% and 5.2% of deaths, respectively.
The order of importance of the causes of death varied according to sex. Among men, tumours caused more deaths than diseases of the circulatory system, whilst among women the main cause of death was diseases of the circulatory system, followed by tumours in second place.
Deaths by cause of death and sex (1). 2024/IV
| | IV/2024 | III/2024 | IV/2023 |
| | NO. | % | NO. | % | Increase % | NO. | % | Increase % |
| DEATHS | 5.512 | 100,0 | 5.253 | 100,0 | 4,9 | 5.702 | 100,0 | -3,3 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Cause of death | | | | | | | | |
| Total | | | | | | | | |
| Tumors | 1.512 | 27,4 | 1.509 | 28,7 | 0,2 | 1.610 | 28,2 | -6,1 |
| Circulatory system | 1.446 | 26,2 | 1.297 | 24,7 | 11,5 | 1.437 | 25,2 | 0,6 |
| Respiratory system | 395 | 7,2 | 375 | 7,1 | 5,3 | 451 | 7,9 | -12,4 |
| Nervous system | 330 | 6,0 | 320 | 6,1 | 3,1 | 415 | 7,3 | -20,5 |
| Digestive system | 287 | 5,2 | 265 | 5,0 | 8,3 | 245 | 4,3 | 17,1 |
| Other causes | 1.542 | 28,0 | 1.487 | 28,3 | 3,7 | 1.544 | 27,1 | -0,1 |
| COVID-19 confirmed | 16 | 0,3 | 78 | 1,5 | -79,5 | 74 | 1,3 | -78,4 |
| COVID-19 probable | 0 | 0,0 | 0 | 0,0 | 0,0 | 0 | 0,0 | 0,0 |
| Other causes | 1.526 | 27,7 | 1.409 | 26,8 | 8,3 | 1.470 | 25,8 | 3,8 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Men | | | | | | | | |
| Tumors | 893 | 33,0 | 883 | 33,7 | 1,1 | 956 | 34,4 | -6,6 |
| Circulatory system | 695 | 25,6 | 647 | 24,7 | 7,4 | 695 | 25,0 | 0,0 |
| Respiratory system | 197 | 7,3 | 188 | 7,2 | 4,8 | 226 | 8,1 | -12,8 |
| Nervous system | 158 | 5,8 | 120 | 4,6 | 31,7 | 168 | 6,0 | -6,0 |
| Digestive system | 138 | 5,1 | 128 | 4,9 | 7,8 | 124 | 4,5 | 11,3 |
| Other causes | 629 | 23,2 | 652 | 24,9 | -3,5 | 612 | 22,0 | 2,8 |
| COVID-19 confirmed | 6 | 0,2 | 44 | 1,7 | -86,4 | 42 | 1,5 | -85,7 |
| COVID-19 probable | 0 | 0,0 | 0 | 0,0 | 0,0 | 0 | 0,0 | 0,0 |
| Other causes | 623 | 23,0 | 608 | 23,2 | 2,5 | 570 | 20,5 | 9,3 |
| | | | | | | | | |
| Women | | | | | | | | |
| Tumors | 619 | 22,1 | 626 | 23,8 | -1,1 | 654 | 22,4 | -5,4 |
| Circulatory system | 751 | 26,8 | 650 | 24,7 | 15,5 | 742 | 25,4 | 1,2 |
| Respiratory system | 198 | 7,1 | 187 | 7,1 | 5,9 | 225 | 7,7 | -12,0 |
| Nervous system | 172 | 6,1 | 200 | 7,6 | -14,0 | 247 | 8,5 | -30,4 |
| Digestive system | 149 | 5,3 | 137 | 5,2 | 8,8 | 121 | 4,1 | 23,1 |
| Other causes | 913 | 32,6 | 835 | 31,7 | 9,3 | 932 | 31,9 | -2,0 |
| COVID-19 confirmed | 10 | 0,4 | 34 | 1,3 | -70,6 | 32 | 1,1 | -68,8 |
| COVID-19 probable | 0 | 0,0 | 0 | 0,0 | 0,0 | 0 | 0,0 | 0,0 |
| Other causes | 903 | 32,2 | 801 | 30,4 | 12,7 | 900 | 30,8 | 0,3 |
| (1)The data for the current quarter is provisional. The variations are over the current quarter | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
Date May 12, 2025
Source: Eustat. Death statistics
BALANCE FOR 2024
The provisional data totals for 2024 recorded 22,368 deaths, of which 11,398 were women and 10,970 were men. The number of deaths increased by 0.3% compared to 2023. By province, the number of deaths rose 3.6% in Álava and 1.2% in Bizkaia; in Gipuzkoa this decreased by 2.5%. It is important to highlight that there was a 3.7% increase in deaths compared to 2019.
Amongst the deaths that occurred last year, 26 corresponded to children under one year of age. This was lower than in 2023, when 35 children under one year of age died. On the other hand, 426 people died at the age of 100 or over, 14 less than in 2023.
With provisional data from 2024, population growth in the Basque Country was negative with deaths exceeding births by 9,464 individuals. For this reason, by province the population decreased by 5,641 inhabitants in Bizkaia, 2,898 in Gipuzkoa and 925 in Álava.
In 2024, there were a total of 246 deaths due to COVID-19 (all following specific tests), compared to 358 in the previous year, 1,721 in 2022, 1,682 in 2021 and 3,096 in 2020.
It should be pointed out that COVID-19 was present in a further 36 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