The number of deaths in Germany is increasing

Dhe number of deaths in Germany rose by 4.2 percent last year. As the Federal Statistical Office in Wiesbaden announced on Wednesday, around 1.07 million people died in 2022, compared to around 1.02 million people the year before. Once again, cardiovascular diseases were 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.

Corona also remains a leading cause of death with 52,357 deaths (4.9 percent) in 2022. A year earlier, this was the third most common cause of death with a share of 6.9 percent (71,331 deaths).

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.

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.