Deaths
On 1 December 1981, more than 200 residents of Slovenia died in one day
Most people die in the winter, the fewest in the summer months. In October 2020, we recorded 24% more deaths, and for the first time, excess mortality differed markedly from the average of the past five years.
Excess mortality
SURS is starting to publish a new indicator of excess mortality, which measures the differences in mortality in normal times compared to mortality in emergency situations, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The monthly excess mortality in 2020 is expressed as a percentage compared to the average of the same months in the 2015-2019 period. The data will be updated monthly. They are also available in the SiStat Database.
Most people die in January
In the last 20 years, most residents of Slovenia (2,425) died in January 2017, when the seasonal flu, which was spread all over Europe in the winter of 2016/17, reached its peak in Slovenia. Before the COVID-19 epidemic, 29 January 2017 was the only day when the number of deaths in one day exceeded a hundred (101). If we look even further into the past, the most tragic day in recent Slovenian history was 1 December 1981, when over 200 residents died in a day, mostly on account of the 180 casualties of the plane crash in Corsica.
The month with the second highest number of deaths was January 2019, when 2,140 persons in Slovenia died. At least two thousand deaths per month were recorded in two other months in the 2000–2019 period (namely in January 2000 – exactly 2,000 – and March 2018) and according to provisional data in October 2020 when the number was 2,073. The new highest number will be recorded in November 2020, as by 22 November over 2,100 residents of Slovenia died, which is almost 100 per day.
On the other hand, the fewest residents of Slovenia (1,330) died in July 2000. Only one month in the last decade (September 2015) is among the seven months with fewer than 1,400 deaths. The day with the fewest deaths (25) was 16 May 2002.
In general, mortality is the highest in winter months with January standing out, and the lowest between May and September. In the new millennium, the average number of deaths per day was 53; in January the daily number was 59, and between May and September 49.
From 2014 on, most people have died in the age group 85–89 years
In parallel with the increase in life expectancy and the consequent population aging, in the last 20 years we can see that the overall mortality rate was relatively stable until 2016 (on average 9.3 deaths per 1,000 population), but has increased in the last three years to 9.9. As the mean age at death increased by 6 years during this period (from 72 to 78 years), there was also a shift in the age periods in which most of the residents died. In the 2000–2003 period, the majority of the residents died in the age group 75–79 years (15%). In the next ten years, the majority of the residents died in the age group 80–84 years (18%), and from 2014 onwards the focus of deaths shifted to the age group 85–89 years, which accounted for nearly a fifth of all deaths during this period.
Also due to the large differences in the number of individual generations resulting from the aftermath of the two world wars in the 20th century, the population aged 85 or more was changing from year to year. The number was the lowest in 2003 and 2004 (fewer than 20,000), while in July 2020 it exceeded 55,000. Due to the increase in the number of people aged 85+, the number of deaths is increasing even as the mortality rate stays the same. In Slovenia, mortality among the oldest people was steadily decreasing until the outbreak of the second wave of the COVID-19 epidemic. If the mortality of the population aged 85 or more were the same in 2019 as at the beginning of the new millennium (more than 180 deaths per 1,000 population), 9,600 deaths would be recorded instead of 7,700.
In 2020, mortality of residents aged 85 or more was at the level of the early millennium
In October 2020, when excess mortality jumped compared to the average of the past five years (24% more deaths), mortality among the oldest people was again at the level of the early millennium and in fact exactly the same as in the first two months of 2020 before the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic. The year 2020 confirms the well-known fact that the fewest members of the oldest generations die in the summer months.
Data on deaths from COVID-19
Data on deaths from COVID-19 are available on the Coronavirus disease COVID-19 website. They are updated daily. Data on monthly deaths from COVID-19 have been removed from the SURS website, as SURS updated these data only once a month, so that they did not reflect the current situation in connection with COVID-19. The data are replaced by a new indicator of excess mortality.
SURS is starting to publish a new indicator of excess mortality, which measures the differences in mortality in normal times compared to mortality in emergency situations, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The monthly excess mortality in 2020 is expressed as a percentage compared to the average of the same months in the 2015-2019 period. The data will be updated monthly. They are also available in the SiStat Database.
Most people die in January
In the last 20 years, most residents of Slovenia (2,425) died in January 2017, when the seasonal flu, which was spread all over Europe in the winter of 2016/17, reached its peak in Slovenia. Before the COVID-19 epidemic, 29 January 2017 was the only day when the number of deaths in one day exceeded a hundred (101). If we look even further into the past, the most tragic day in recent Slovenian history was 1 December 1981, when over 200 residents died in a day, mostly on account of the 180 casualties of the plane crash in Corsica.
The month with the second highest number of deaths was January 2019, when 2,140 persons in Slovenia died. At least two thousand deaths per month were recorded in two other months in the 2000–2019 period (namely in January 2000 – exactly 2,000 – and March 2018) and according to provisional data in October 2020 when the number was 2,073. The new highest number will be recorded in November 2020, as by 22 November over 2,100 residents of Slovenia died, which is almost 100 per day.
On the other hand, the fewest residents of Slovenia (1,330) died in July 2000. Only one month in the last decade (September 2015) is among the seven months with fewer than 1,400 deaths. The day with the fewest deaths (25) was 16 May 2002.
In general, mortality is the highest in winter months with January standing out, and the lowest between May and September. In the new millennium, the average number of deaths per day was 53; in January the daily number was 59, and between May and September 49.
From 2014 on, most people have died in the age group 85–89 years
In parallel with the increase in life expectancy and the consequent population aging, in the last 20 years we can see that the overall mortality rate was relatively stable until 2016 (on average 9.3 deaths per 1,000 population), but has increased in the last three years to 9.9. As the mean age at death increased by 6 years during this period (from 72 to 78 years), there was also a shift in the age periods in which most of the residents died. In the 2000–2003 period, the majority of the residents died in the age group 75–79 years (15%). In the next ten years, the majority of the residents died in the age group 80–84 years (18%), and from 2014 onwards the focus of deaths shifted to the age group 85–89 years, which accounted for nearly a fifth of all deaths during this period.
Also due to the large differences in the number of individual generations resulting from the aftermath of the two world wars in the 20th century, the population aged 85 or more was changing from year to year. The number was the lowest in 2003 and 2004 (fewer than 20,000), while in July 2020 it exceeded 55,000. Due to the increase in the number of people aged 85+, the number of deaths is increasing even as the mortality rate stays the same. In Slovenia, mortality among the oldest people was steadily decreasing until the outbreak of the second wave of the COVID-19 epidemic. If the mortality of the population aged 85 or more were the same in 2019 as at the beginning of the new millennium (more than 180 deaths per 1,000 population), 9,600 deaths would be recorded instead of 7,700.
In 2020, mortality of residents aged 85 or more was at the level of the early millennium
In October 2020, when excess mortality jumped compared to the average of the past five years (24% more deaths), mortality among the oldest people was again at the level of the early millennium and in fact exactly the same as in the first two months of 2020 before the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic. The year 2020 confirms the well-known fact that the fewest members of the oldest generations die in the summer months.
Data on deaths from COVID-19
Data on deaths from COVID-19 are available on the Coronavirus disease COVID-19 website. They are updated daily. Data on monthly deaths from COVID-19 have been removed from the SURS website, as SURS updated these data only once a month, so that they did not reflect the current situation in connection with COVID-19. The data are replaced by a new indicator of excess mortality.
When making use of the data and information of the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia, always add: "Source: SURS". More: Copyright.
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