According to the National Institute for Health Development's Causes of Death Register, 15,606 deaths were in Estonia last year, of which more than half were caused by diseases of circlatory system, followed by malignant neoplasms, injuries and poisoning.
Although the number of deaths increased by 164 compared to previous year, then the standardized mortality rate per 100,000 people decreased.
Of all the deaths, 7957 were caused by diseases of the circulatory system (3154 men and 4803 women). A year earlier it was 8005 people. The most common were ischaemic heart disease and hypertension, and cerebrovascular diseases.
The causes of death were followed by malignant neoplasms (3900 people). The most common was lung cancer.
821 people died due to injuries, traumas and poisoning, including 614 men and 207 women.
The number of deaths caused by the use of drugs decreased from 110 to 39 compared to 2017. The main reasons for the decline were the decrease in the availability of fentanyl in the Estonian drug market in 2018, the availability of the social program SÜTIK (socialization of addicts with the support) and the naloxone programme.
A total of 495 people died last year due to illnesses directly related to alcohol, including 113 women and 382 men, the most among people of 45–70 years old. A year before, 451 people died from alcohol abuse and intoxication.
Data is published in health statistics and health research database.
