Circulatory diseases, cancer: 54% of all EU deaths in 2021

In 2021 there were 5.3 million deaths in the EU; the main causes of death across the EU were circulatory diseases, cancer and COVID-19.

Deaths related to circulatory diseases amounted to 1.71 million in 2021 (32% of all deaths). Cancer was the second most common cause, with 1.14 million causes of death (22%). COVID-19 was third with 0.57 million (11%). Together these 3 diseases made up 65% of the causes of all deaths in 2021.

Other leading causes of death were respiratory diseases (0.32 million; 6%), external causes of morbidity and mortality (0.23 million; 4%), diseases of the digestive system (0.21 million; 4%), mental and behavioural disorders (0.19 million; 4%) and endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (0.17 million; 3%).

Source dataset: hlth_cd_aro

COVID-19 standardised death rate at 115.5 per 100 000 people in 2021

The EU's standardised death rate for COVID-19 was 115.5 deaths per 100 000 people in 2021.

Source dataset: hlth_cd_asdr2

The 3 regions in the EU with the highest standardised death rate were all in Bulgaria, with Yugozapaden (390.68), Severen Tsentralen (387.33) and Severoiztochen (366.75).

Meanwhile, the 3 regions with the lowest standardised death rates were Pohjois-ja Itä-Suomi (8.86) and Länsi-Suomi (10.07) in Finland and Syddanmark (12.89) in Denmark.