Cardiovascular diseases were again the most common cause of death in Germany last year.
A third, or 33.9%, of all deaths were due to a heart attack, stroke or similar condition, according to the Federal Statistical Office, or Destatis. Cancer claimed the lives of more than a fifth of the deceased, with 22.4% succumbing to the disease.
However, statistics show that both causes of death have decreased compared to the previous year: 2.7% fewer people died from cardiovascular diseases and 0.5% fewer people died from cancer.
For the first time since 2016, the total number of deaths also fell: from 1.07 million deaths in 2022, it fell by 3.6% to 1.03 million people in 2023. More than half of the deceased women and almost a third of the deceased men were 85 years or older.
More people died from flu or pneumonia, with cases rising 13.1% to just under 20,900, after a 30% increase the year before.
During the coronavirus pandemic, the numbers in this area had dropped significantly, as preventive measures also warded 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 listed as the underlying cause of death in 25,768 cases, accounting for 2.5% of all cases and representing a 50.8% decrease on the previous year.
