Most common cause of death in Germany is cardiovascular diseases

Cardiovascular diseases were once again the most common cause of death in Germany last year, reported dpa.

One third, or 33.9%, of all deaths were due to a heart attack, stroke or a similar condition, according to the Federal Statistical Office, or Destatis. Cancer claimed the lives of more than a fifth of those who died, with 22.4% succumbing to the disease.

However, the statistics show a decrease in both causes of death compared to the previous year: 2.7% fewer people died from cardiovascular diseases and 0.5% fewer died from cancer.

For the first time since 2016, the total number of deaths also declined: From 1.07 million deceased in 2022, it decreased by 3.6% to 1.03 million people in 2023. More than half of the women who died and almost a third of the men who died were 85 years and older.

More people died from influenza or pneumonia: The number of cases rose by 13.1% to just under 20,900, after already rising by 30% the previous year.

During the coronavirus pandemic, the numbers in this area had dropped significantly as preventative measures also staved off other infections. In 2023, the office explained that with a share of 2% of all causes of death, influenza and pneumonia had reached a level similar to that before the coronavirus pandemic.

Last year, Covid-19 was given as the underlying cause of death in 25,768 cases. This accounted for 2.5% of all cases and represented a decrease of 50.8% compared to the previous year.

An unnatural cause of death such as injury or poisoning claimed 49,400 lives last year. Around 20,800 people died from a fall.

A total of 10,300 people ended their lives by suicide, with the number of cases increasing by 1.8% year-on-year. According to Destatis, this increase is mainly due to more suicides by women, an increase of 8%, while the number among men slightly decreased by 0.3%. Suicides accounted for a similar 1% of all causes of death as in previous years.