Death statistic according to cause of death

In the first half of 2024 there were 223,278 deaths in Spain, of which 111,698 were men and 111,580 women.

The group diseases of the circulatory system, tumours and respiratory diseases were the main causes of death during the first semester, with 26.2%, 25.6% and 12.9% of the total deaths, respectively.

This was followed by diseases of the nervous system (6.0% of the total) and mental and behavioural disorders (5.3%).

Compared to the first half of 2023, the largest increase among the main causes of death occurred in the group of respiratory diseases (12.0% more). The group that decreased the most was infectious diseases, including COVID-19, which fell by 13.1% compared to the first half.

Looking at this in more detail, among deaths due to diseases of the circulatory system, ischemic heart disease was the most frequent cause of death in the first half of the year, with 13,656 deaths, 4.1% fewer than in the same period in 2023. This was followed by cerebrovascular diseases, with 11,675 deaths (down 4.2%).

Among tumours, bronchial and lung cancer was the most frequent cause (with 11,677 deaths, up 2.5%), followed by cancer of the colon (5,171 deaths, down 6.3%).

The causes of death that increased the most of the 15 most frequent causes were pneumonia, of the group respiratory diseases, and kidney failure, of the group diseases of the genitourinary system, which increased by 11.4% and 10.6%, respectively.

Meanwhile, the one that decreased the most was heart failure, which fell by 7.4%. Deaths due to COVID-19 identified virus fell by 26.8%, with which it exited the list of the 15 most frequent causes of death for the first time since the emergence of this disease.

From January to June 2024, there were 8,624 deaths due to external causes. By sex, 5,351 males and 3,273 females died.

Accidental falls were the number one external cause of death, with 2,067 deaths (52.6% were men). Suicides came second, with 1,842 deaths (72.9% of them were men).

Behind were deaths due to drowning, submersion and accidental suffocation with 1,738 deaths (50.1% of these were women) and traffic accidents with 812 (80.2% were men).

By gender, the most frequent causes of external death among men were suicides (1,342 deaths) and unintentional falls (1,087). For women, the most frequent causes were unintentional falls (980 deaths) and drowning, submersion and suffocation (870).

By the main causes of death, deaths from diseases of the circulatory system decreased in almost all regions. The sharpest falls were recorded in the autonomous cities of Ceuta (down 26.8%) and Melilla (16.7%) and in Canarias (10.1%).

The autonomous communities in which deaths due to diseases of the circulatory system increased were Galicia (1.9%) and Illes Balears (0.3%).

The sharpest falls in deaths from tumours occurred in the Comunidad de Madrid, Castilla-La Mancha and Extremadura (with decreases of 7.4%, 4.8% and 3.5%, respectively).

In turn, the greatest increases due to tumours were recorded in the Autonomous Cities of Melilla (up 23.6%), and Ceuta (17.3%) and in the Comunidad Foral de Navarra (8.4%).

Rioja had the highest increase in deaths due to respiratory system diseases (27.9%), followed by Canarias (22.9%) and Pais Vasco (21.9%).

The data for the first semester of 2024 are provisional and will be disseminated as final in the year 2025. The definitive results for 2023 are also published today. All the results of this operation are available at INEBase.