In 2018, diseases of the circulatory system decrease as main cause of death
Statbel, the Belgian statistical office, publishes today the causes of death for 2018.
Despite a decrease of their relative importance, the diseases of the circulatory system (25.9 % of all causes of death) remain the leading cause of death, followed by tumours (25.0 %) and diseases of the respiratory system (11.7 %). This ranking remains the same for the three regions.
For men, tumours rank first (28.2 %) followed by diseases of the circulatory system (24.4 %), while for women, the national ranking is respected.
Belgium - Deaths by sex and by region, 2018
| Men | Women | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brussels-Capital Region | 4.122 | 4.797 | 8.919 |
| Flemish Region | 31.392 | 32.005 | 63.397 |
| Walloon Region | 18.543 | 19.786 | 38.329 |
| Belgium | 54.057 | 56.588 | 110.645 |
Belgium - Deaths by sex and by region, for some groups of causes, 2018
| Men | Women | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of cases | % | Number of cases | % | Number of cases | % | ||
| Brussels-Capital Region | All causes | 4,122 | 100% | 4,797 | 100% | 8,919 | 100% |
| Diseases of the circulatory system | 983 | 23.8% | 1,211 | 25.2% | 2,194 | 24.6% | |
| Tumours | 1,051 | 25.5% | 1,037 | 21.6% | 2,088 | 23.4% | |
| Diseases of the respiratory system | 502 | 12.2% | 522 | 10.9% | 1,024 | 11.5% | |
| Flemish Region | All causes | 31,392 | 100% | 32,005 | 100% | 63,397 | 100% |
| Diseases of the circulatory system | 7,937 | 25.3% | 9,205 | 28.8% | 17,142 | 27,0% | |
| Tumours | 9,306 | 29.6% | 7,208 | 22.5% | 16,514 | 26,0% | |
| Diseases of the respiratory system | 3,775 | 12,0% | 3,442 | 10.8% | 7,217 | 11.4% | |
| Walloon Region | All causes | 18,543 | 100% | 19,786 | 100% | 38,329 | 100% |
| Diseases of the circulatory system | 4,294 | 23.2% | 5,014 | 25.3% | 9,308 | 24.3% | |
| Tumours | 4,873 | 26.3% | 4,134 | 20.9% | 9,007 | 23.5% | |
| Diseases of the respiratory system | 2,292 | 12.4% | 2,385 | 12.1% | 4,677 | 12.2% | |
| Belgium | All causes | 54,057 | 100% | 56,588 | 100% | 110,645 | 100% |
| Diseases of the circulatory system | 13,214 | 24.4% | 15,430 | 27.3% | 28,644 | 25.9% | |
| Tumours | 15,230 | 28.2% | 12,379 | 21.9% | 27,609 | 25,0% | |
| Diseases of the respiratory system | 6,569 | 12.2% | 6,349 | 11.2% | 12,918 | 11.7% | |
Purpose and brief description
Statistics on causes of death are compiled using the statistical declaration-of-death forms (Model IIIC and Model IIID) which are filled in by a certifying doctor for every death that takes place in Belgium and then completed by the municipal authorities of the place of death. These forms are forwarded to the Communities which check, code and input the information in order to compile their own statistics. The databases are then forwarded to Statbel, which assembles them to compile statistics at the federal level. To this end, Statbel links the forms with the deaths registered in the RNPP. This makes it possible: to check and complete the available information; to exclude from the statistics the deaths taking place in Belgium of people who do not legally reside in the country; and, finally, to include in the statistics the deaths taking place abroad of people who legally reside in Belgium and for whom no civil status form was filled in. The aforementioned coupling and inclusion have only been effective since 2010. This means that deaths abroad of people residing in Belgium were previously not included in the federal statistics.
Since 1998, the coding of causes of deaths is carried out according to the WHO's tenth revision of International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10). All the tables of the statistics break down the deaths into various groups of causes, also making a distinction according to five-year age groups and gender.
Population
Inhabitants in Belgium
Periodicity
Annually.
Release calendar
Results available 2 years after the reference period
Definitions
Gender: Gender of the deceased
Cause of death: Original cause of death
Age groups: Age of the deceased, in five-year age groups
Region of residence: Region of residence of the deceased
Nomenclature
WHO International Classification of Diseases (ICD)