The Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) made public the causes of death in the Greek population for 2022, based on the certificates submitted by doctors and, for cases of violent or sudden deaths, by the Forensic Services.

According to ELSTAT’s statistical data, the total number of deaths in 2022 was 140,792 (70,795 men and 69,997 women), showing a 2.2% decrease compared to the 143,904 deaths (73,410 men and 70,494 women) recorded in 2021.

The main causes of death in 2022 were diseases of the circulatory system, with 44,325 deaths. This was followed by deaths from neoplasms, COVID-19, and respiratory diseases, which accounted for 29,532, 16,173, and 13,165 deaths, respectively.

Deaths from COVID-19 included 8,358 men and 7,815 women in 2022. The majority of deaths occurred in the age group 75 years and older (12,140 deaths), followed by the age groups 60-74 years and 45-59 years, with 3,075 and 791 deaths, respectively. In the under-15 age group, there were 9 deaths due to the disease.

COVID-19 was the only cause of death, as stated in death certificates, for 29.3% of COVID-19 deaths (4,743 deaths), while for 70.7% (11,430 deaths), there was a mention of an underlying disease (comorbidity). The main underlying diseases for those who died from COVID-19 were circulatory system diseases, neoplasms, and endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic diseases, with percentages of 26.7% (4,320 deaths), 15.3% (2,468 deaths), and 7.2% (1,163 deaths), respectively.

Compared to previous years, the percentage of deaths from diseases of the circulatory system in the total number of deaths increased from 10.0% in 1938 (the first year for which detailed data is available) to 25.0% in 1956 (the first post-war year for which data is available), and 31.5% in 2022.

Similarly, the percentage of deaths from neoplastic diseases increased from 4.1% in 1938 to 11.7% in 1956, and 21.0% in 2022. In contrast, deaths from infectious and parasitic diseases, which accounted for 18.4% of all deaths in 1938, have decreased to 2.4% in 2022. It is worth noting that for the historical comparability of data, changes in the use of the International Classification of Diseases should be taken into account.

The number of deaths from suicides, as classified by the Forensic and Investigative authorities, amounted to 516 in 2022, compared to 467 in 2021 (an increase of 10.5%). It should be noted that possible discrepancies from data from other entities may be due to different methodologies or other factors, such as the need for time-consuming investigations by forensic authorities regarding the circumstances of death, deaths resulting from late effects of suicide attempts, etc.