Statistics: Number of deaths in Germany increased

2023-11-15 12:18:07

Statistics Number of deaths in Germany has increased

A coffin is burned in the crematorium: The number of deaths in Germany rose by 4.2 percent last year. photo

© Thomas Frey/dpa

More than a million people died in Germany in 2022. The number of corona deaths is falling. In contrast, deaths in another area are increasing significantly.

The number of deaths in Germany rose by 4.2 percent last year. As the Federal Statistical Office in Wiesbaden announced, around 1.07 million people died in 2022, compared to around 1.02 a year earlier. Cardiovascular diseases were once again the most common cause of death, accounting for a third (33.6 percent) of all deaths. In just over a fifth (21.7 percent) the cause was cancer.

And what about Corona? According to the information, Covid 19 was determined to be the primary cause of death in 52,357 people who died (4.9 percent). A year earlier – i.e. 2021 – this was the third most common cause of death with a share of 6.9 percent (71,331 deaths). The figures do not include cases in which Covid-19 was documented as a comorbidity on the death certificate. These figures will be published at a later date, it said.

In contrast, the number of deaths due to diseases of the respiratory system rose above average, by 18 percent to 67,633. The statisticians explained that the increase in flu deaths and people who died of pneumonia was crucial for this. The Federal Office does not count Covid-19 as a respiratory disease in these statistics because it is considered separately as a cause of the pandemic, said a spokesman.

Dementia and suicide

The Federal Office recorded a further significant increase (plus 14.7 percent) in people who died due to psychological suffering or behavioral disorders. “A total of 68,777 people died from these diseases, of which 25,941 were men and 42,836 women,” it said. With 53,323 deaths, dementia would account for more than three quarters of this disease group.

The number of deaths from non-natural causes of death also increased: According to the data, 47,912 people (4.5 percent) died from a so-called external cause, which corresponds to an increase of around 11 percent compared to the previous year. The highest increase was recorded in falls, with 20,311 people losing their lives (plus 11.7 percent). In the case of transport accidents, including road traffic accidents in particular, the pandemic effect from the previous year no longer existed. Here the number of deaths increased by 8 percent to 3,141 cases.

The number of suicides rose by 9.8 percent compared to the previous year to 10,119 deaths. However, as in previous years, the proportion of suicides among all causes of death remained constant at around one percent. At around 74 percent, men made up the largest part.

After the post-mortem examination, the doctor must fill out a death certificate. Personal details, time and place of death are officially documented there. This death certificate contains a confidential section in which the suspected cause of death is recorded. A distinction is made according to the decisive cause of death, accompanying or secondary illnesses and the immediate cause of death.

dpa