The Directorate of Research, Studies and Evaluation of Statistics (DREES), the Inserm Center for Epidemiology of Medical Causes of Death (CépiDc-Inserm) and
Santé Publique France are analyzing the medical causes of death of French people in 2022.
The leading cause of death in France in 2022 remains cancer (25.5% of deaths), followed by cardio-neurovascular diseases (20.8%), then respiratory diseases excluding Covid-19 (6.7%). This is the conclusion drawn from the analysis of nearly 680,000 deaths occurring in 2022, according to the Directorate of Research, Studies and Evaluation of Statistics (DREES), the Center for Epidemiology of Medical Causes of Death of Inserm (CépiDc-Inserm) and Santé Publique France. Deaths from cardio-neurovascular and respiratory diseases generally affect the elderly. The presence in third position of diseases of the respiratory system “ could be partly explained by the two seasonal flu epidemics », indicates a press release; deaths linked to Covid-19, on the other hand, decreased in 2022, while they were in third position a year earlier.
In 2022, the number of deaths was slightly higher than in 2021 (667,497 deaths). The standardized mortality rate, which takes into account the aging of the population, is also above the 2021 level.
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More accidents
There is an increase in deaths due to accidents (falls and domestic accidents). Among those under 65, it is even the second cause of death, after tumors. Endocrine diseases and diseases of the digestive system are also on the rise. Deaths in public health establishments will decrease in 2022, while those in nursing homes (accommodation establishments for dependent elderly people) will increase. Deaths at home are mainly due to cardiovascular diseases (23%) and cancers (22%).
Mortality due to suicide is up very slightly compared to 2021, but returns to its 2020 level, with 9,200 deaths. Three-quarters of suicide-related deaths concern men.
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Methods and predictions for 2023
Causes of death are coded using the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10), a standardized system for identifying diseases and causes of death. Each cause mentioned on the death certificate receives a specific code. This coding process allows data to be analyzed and compared in a uniform manner, facilitating epidemiological studies and international comparisons. The study published today took into account the regions, sexes and age groups (0-64 years, 65-84 years, and 85 years or older) of the deceased, in order to analyze geographic and demographic variations causes of mortality.
As for 2023, around 638,000 deaths were recorded in France, a little less than in 2022, according to a preliminary analysis of death certificates for 2023. The most significant drop concerns Covid-19, with around 27,000 fewer deaths compared to 2022. Mortality linked to tumors and cardio-neurovascular diseases would remain stable, with a slight drop in mortality due to heart diseases. On the other hand, deaths linked to diseases of the respiratory system would increase slightly. See you next year for the final study and detailed results.
