Cancer represented the leading cause of death in France in 2022, with 25.5% of deaths, followed by cardio-neurovascular diseases (20.8%), then respiratory diseases excluding Covid-19 (6.7%), according to a study published Tuesday.
Deaths due to tumors (cancers) concern people on average younger, according to a study by Public Health France (SPF), the Department of Research, Studies, Evaluation and Statistics (Drees) and the Inserm Center for Epidemiology of Medical Causes of Death (CépiDc-Inserm).
Tumor mortality continues its downward trend but is stabilizing among women, according to the survey which analyzes the medical causes of nearly 680,000 deaths occurring in 2022 in France.
Deaths due to cardio-neurovascular and respiratory diseases generally concern the elderly, specifies the same source.
The presence in third position of diseases of the respiratory system “could be explained in part by the two seasonal flu epidemics”, note the health authorities.
Conversely, the number of deaths due to Covid-19 has decreased by almost a third compared to 2021. This decline could be largely explained “by the achievement of high collective immunity at the national level as international (broad vaccination coverage, less virulence of variants)”, we specify.
In 2022, the number of deaths due to external causes is 44,800, or 6.7% of deaths. External factors are the second cause of death in people under 65, after tumors, according to the same source.
Deaths from external causes consist mainly of “accidents” (67.8%), which include transport accidents, accidental falls, drowning and accidental poisoning. Suicides represent 20.5% of external causes.
