31,000 per year

The most common causes of death in Austria

Cardiovascular diseases are still the most common cause of death in Austria.

(Bild: thinkstockphotos.de (Symbolbild))

Mortality in Austria fell significantly last year and, at 89,760 deaths, was five percent below the average for 2020 to 2022. However, there was no change in the causes of death: Here, cardiovascular diseases remained at the top, ahead of cancer, Statistics Austria announced on Wednesday. More than half of those who died were over 80 years old.

"Adjusted for population growth and age structure, mortality was also around one percent below the average for the pre-corona period from 2015 to 2019," said Statistics Austria Director General Tobias Thomas. Cardiovascular diseases (31,129 deaths) and cancer (21,067) were responsible for 58 percent of all deaths in 2023.

Mortality continues to fall
In both groups, mortality has fallen compared to the pre-pandemic years (minus 15 and minus six percent respectively). In contrast, mortality due to dementia (up 48%) and Parkinson's disease (up 13%) was significantly higher.

Suicide mortality in 2023 was back to pre-pandemic levels (up three percent compared to the 2015 to 2019 average), after being slightly lower in 2020 and 2021.

Covid increasingly less deadly
Covid mortality fell again in 2023 and was 61% below the average for 2020 to 2022. In addition to diseases of the circulatory system (35%) and cancer (24%), other significant causes were respiratory diseases (6%), injuries and poisoning (6%), dementia (4%) and diseases of the digestive organs (4%).

More than half of the deaths in the previous year (52,258 deaths) occurred after the age of 80. Around 40 percent of all deaths occurred between the ages of 40 and 80 - mainly due to cancer (just under a third).

Suicide as a common cause of death among young people
Suicides, accidents and cancer were the most common causes of death among young people and adults between the ages of ten and 40 (together only two percent of deaths). Among children aged between one and ten years (0.1 percent of deaths), accidents and cancer were the most common causes of death, while birth complications and congenital malformations were the most common causes among infants (220 deaths in 2023, or 0.2 percent).