1 out of 8 deaths in 2020 due to COVID-19

Last year, the number of deaths was 16.8 thousand higher than in 2019, when 151,885 people passed away. Up to 2019, the standardised mortality rate declined annually in all age groups. This figure takes into account the composition of the population. In 2020, mortality increased across all age groups. This was most frequently seen among the elderly, mainly due to the novel coronavirus. At the same time, mortality from other causes of death declined. Figures on causes of death are based on the cause-of-death certificates that are completed by an attending medical practitioner. CBS receives these certificates via the municipality where the death occurred.

CVD mortality down by 5 percent

Mortality from cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and cancer has been declining since 2000. This decline continued in 2020. CVD mortality saw a sharper decline than in previous years: in 2020, 5 percent fewer people died from this cause of death compared to 2019. In the preceding years, the decline was approximately 3 percent. Mortality from cancer and other malignant neoplasms also declined slightly more, by over 2 percent. Standardised mortality from mental disorders and diseases of the nervous system, including Alzheimer's disease and dementia, has been declining since 2018. In 2020, there was also a 9-percent decrease compared to the previous year.

Among people over 50, mortality from causes other than COVID-19 declined, with the exception of non-natural causes of death. In 2020, people with chronic diseases may have died prematurely due to COVID-19. A similar picture can be seen in years with a flu epidemic, such as in 2018/2019. This trend was most pronounced among the over-80s.

More deaths from accidental falls

The number of deaths with non-natural causes (accidents, suicides, homicides and manslaughter) has been on the rise since 2012 and stood at almost 52 per 100 thousand deaths in 2020. The increase in entirely attributable to more deaths due to accidental falls (unintentional falls, tripping or slipping). Mortality from this cause of death has increased since 2000. The number of deaths related to road traffic accidents and suicides has fallen in recent years, and this trend continued in 2020.