Causes of death (terminated in Statistics Norway), 2009

A total of 41 300 persons died in 2009, 21 500 of which were women. Cardiovascular diseases and cancer were the most common causes of death, at 30 per cent and 25 per cent respectively.

Age difference of flu deaths

While deaths caused by the seasonal influenza hit the elderly in particular, it was mainly younger people who died from the swine flu (the average age was approximately 40). Most of them suffered from additional serious illnesses. There was no sign of a general mortality increase in the population during the swine flu period.

The number of deaths caused by swine flu differs between Statistics Norway and The Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH). The reason for that is:

The Cause of Death Registry is the source for the numbers registered by Statistics Norway. These are based on death certificates and autopsy reports in a total of 32 deaths. These certificates and reports state that the swine flu (influenza A H1N1) is the underlying cause of death for these persons in 2009. The source of NIPH is physicians and laboratories. A total of 29 notifications from local physicians reported laboratory confirmed influenza deaths in 2009. Differences in the inclusion criteria is the reason for different numbers in NIPH and Statistics Norway.

About 570 deaths by suicide were reported in 2009. Next to the year 1999 this is the highest number since 1993.

Decrease in cardiovascular diseases

The mortality by cardiovascular diseases is decreasing. With regard to gender, a reduction has been in progress for men for almost 40 years, and almost 50 years for women. The decrease in cancer mortality continues.

Fewer deaths at home

Eight out of ten deaths happened in hospitals and in nursing homes. Thirty-six per cent of the deaths occurred in hospitals and 43 per cent in nursing homes. In the years 2000–2009 there were fewer deaths in hospitals and more deaths in nursing homes.

Increase in missing death certificates

A total of 630 death certificates were missing in 2009, 260 of these were deaths abroad. Most of the increase is due to some irregularities in forwarding the death certificates from the county Hedmark.

Deaths in Norway with missing death certificates have an age and gender distribution in line with the average and it is likely that the mortality pattern of these deaths differs little from deaths registered by death certificates. When it comes to deaths abroad, men are over-represented and the average age is lower. Most of these deaths are probably accidental deaths.

Tables

• Table 1 Deaths by underlying cause of death. The whole country. 1991-2009
• Table 2 Deaths, by sex, age and underlying cause of death. The whole country. 2009
• Table 3 Deaths by sex, age and underlying cause of death. Per 100 000 inhabitants. The whole country. 2009
• Table 4 Infant deaths by sex, age intervals and underlying cause of death. The whole country. 2009
• Table 5 Infant deaths. County. 1991-2009
• Table 6 Sex and age-specific death rates from cardiovascular diseases. Underlying cause of death. 1951-2009. Per 100 000 population
• Table 7 Sex and age-specific death rates from malignant neoplasms. Underlying cause of death. 1951-2009. Per 100 000 population
• Table 8 Suicide and suicide rate per 100 000 population, by sex and age. 1951-2009
• Table 9 Suicide, by method. 1976-2009.
• Table 10 Deaths, by sex and underlying cause of death. County. 2009
• Table 11 Deaths by sex, age and underlying cause of death. The whole country. 2009

• I. Certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99). 2009
• II. Neoplasms (C00-D48). 2009
• III. Diseases of the blood and bloodforming organs and certain disorders involving the immune mechanism (D50-D89). 2009
• IV. Endoctrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (E00-E90). 2009
• V. Mental and behavioural disorders (F00-F99). 2009
• VI. Diseases of the nervous system (G00-G99). 2009
• VII. Diseases of the eye and adnexa (H00-H59). 2009
• VIII. Diseases of the ear and mastoid prosess (H60-H95). 2009
• IX. Diseases of the circulatory system (I00-I99). 2009
• X. Diseases of the respiratory system (J00-J99). 2009
• XI. Diseases of the digestive system (K00-K93). 2009
• XII. Diseases of the skin and subcutaneous tissue (L00-L99). 2009
• XIII. Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (M00-M99). 2009
• XIV. Diseases of the genitourinary system (N00-N99). 2009
• XV. Pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium (O00-O99). 2009
• XVI. Certain conditions orginating in the perinatal period (P00-P96). 2009
• XVII. Congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities (Q00-Q99). 2009
• XVIII. Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified (R00-R99). 2009
• XX. External causes of morbidity and mortality (V01-Y89). 2009

• Table 12 Deaths caused by alcohol, narcotics and medicaments, by underlying cause of death. County. 2-9
• Table 14 Deaths among children 1-17 years, by sex and underlying cause of death.2009
• Table 15 Deaths by accidents. 2009
• Table 16 Deaths by transport accidents. 2009
• Table 17 Deaths by traffic accidents , by group of road-user. 2009
• Table 18 Deaths from accidents, by place of occurence and activity. 2009
• Table 19 Deaths of underlying cause of death, by place of death. Per cent. 2009
• Table 20 Deaths from different causes, by month of deaths. 2009
• Table 22 Deaths, by sex, age and underlying cause of death. Oslo. 2009