Death rate hits new record in 2016 since 1944

The number of deaths in the country increased significantly last year, according to Statistics Finland.

A total of 53,923 persons died in 2016, the highest number since 1944. The previous record year after the 1940s was 2015, from which the number had grown by 1,431 in 2016.

Most of the deaths took place in January, December and March. The 5,336 deaths that took place in January was the highest number of deaths seen in that month since 1944. The last time when 5,000 plus people died in any one month was in December 2003.

In 2016, a total of 100 children died during their first year. The number of children dying at under one-year of age, i.e., infant mortality, was nearly the same as in 2015, when 97 infants died. In 2016, infant mortality per one thousand live-born children was 1.9 per million, which is 0.2 per mil higher than in the previous year. Even though the number of infant deaths remained almost unchanged, infant mortality is higher due to a lower number of live births. In 2013 to 2015, Finland’s average infant mortality was the smallest among the Nordic and Western European countries.

Last year, the average life expectancy at birth was 78.4 years for boys and 84.1 years for girls. Men’s average life expectancy decreased by 0.1 years and women’s remained unchanged from 2015. Men’s average life expectancy has grown steadily since the 1980s, though there was a similar minor drop in 1995 from the year before. Life expectancy at birth indicates the number of years a person aged 0 would live provided the rate of mortality remains unchanged.