Last year the number of deaths in Germany increased by 4.2 percent. As the Federal Statistical Office in Wiesbaden has now announced, around 1.07 million people will die in 2022, compared to around 1.02 million the previous year.
- Cardiovascular disease was once again the most common cause of death, accounting for one-third (33.6 percent) of all deaths.
- In just over a fifth (21.7 percent) the cause was cancer.
Heart disease is the number one cause of death: how to protect yourself
According to the German Heart Foundation, the following points help promote heart health:
- Stress reduction
- Sufficient exercise, ideally endurance sports such as hiking, cycling, jogging, swimming, etc.
- a balanced diet with lots of fruits and vegetables, as well as whole grain products and little meat
- Avoid cigarettes
- Avoid alcohol
- pay attention to blood pressure
- Avoid or reduce excess weight and abdominal fat.
- Have a cardiological check-up for the early detection of cardiovascular diseases
Corona deaths are decreasing
And what about Corona?
- According to the information, it was determined that Covid-19 was the main cause of death in 52,357 people who died (4.9 percent).
- A year earlier, that is, 2021, this was the third cause of death with a proportion of 6.9 percent (71,331 deaths).
The figures do not include cases in which Covid-19 was documented as a comorbidity on the death certificate. These figures will be published at a later date, he said.
On the contrary, the number of deaths from diseases of the respiratory system increased above average, by 18 percent, to 67,633. The statisticians explained that the increase in deaths from flu and people who died from pneumonia was decisive for this. The Federal Office does not include Covid-19 as a respiratory disease in these statistics because it is considered separately as a cause of the pandemic, a spokesperson said.
Significant increase in deaths from mental illness
The Federal Office recorded another significant increase (more than 14.7 percent) in the number of 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 were women,” he said. With 53,323 deaths, dementia would represent more than three quarters of this group of diseases.
The number of deaths from unnatural causes 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 biggest increase was in falls, with 20,311 people losing their lives (up 11.7 percent). In the case of transport accidents, and in particular traffic accidents, the pandemic effect of the previous year no longer occurred. Here the number of deaths increased by 8 percent to 3,141 cases.
The number of suicides increased by 9.8 percent compared to the previous year, to 10,119 deaths. However, as in previous years, the share of suicides among all causes of death remained constant at around one percent. Men made up the majority, about 74 percent.
After the post-mortem examination, the doctor must complete a death certificate. Personal details, time and place of death are officially documented there. This death certificate contains a confidential section in which the suspected cause of death is entered. It is distinguished according to the decisive cause of death, accompanying or secondary diseases and the immediate cause of death.