The National Institute of Statistics (INE) has released the death statistics according to the cause of death for the year 2009.
The figures show that in that year there were 384,933 deaths in Spain, 1,391 less than those registered in 2008, dying 185,838 women (0.4% less than the previous year) and 199,095 men (0.3% less).
Among the external causes of death, suicide ranked first, with 3,429 deaths in 2009.
A figure very similar to that of previous years but which has risen in the ranking of causes due to the drop in mortality in the roads.
By sex, there was a marked excess of male mortality: eight out of 10 people who committed suicide were men.
Decrease in mortality from traffic accidents
- For their part, deaths in traffic accidents fell again in 2009 and stood at 2,588 (14.6% less). In five years the number of deaths from this cause has been reduced by almost half.
- Analyzing the causes of death by large groups of diseases, in 2009 the same mortality pattern was maintained as in the previous year. The three main causes were diseases of the circulatory system (responsible for 31.2%), tumors (27.3%) and diseases of the respiratory system (11.2%).
Diseases of the circulatory system, the main cause of mortality
- Compared to the previous year, the upward trend in deaths from tumors continued (1.0% more), while the cases due to the other two groups decreased (circulatory diseases 2.2% and respiratory diseases 2.1%).
- It is worth noting the increase in deaths due to diseases related to mental disorders (10.9%) and diseases of the nervous system (7.3%). The number of deaths from diseases of the nervous system stood at 18,771 (of which 11,161 were due to Alzheimer’s disease ) and 14,455 due to mental disorders (of which 13,732 were dementia).