Will there be more deaths this Friday? From 2004 to 2023, this date of January 3 was on average the deadliest day of the year, indicated an INSEE study published last October. The number of deaths observed in France that day is on average 19% higher than the average over the period, with 1,900 deaths on January 3 on average compared to 1,600 on other days.
January 3, the deadliest day? INSEE explains it. “The desire to spend these holidays with loved ones, as well as the desire to reach a new year could delay the occurrence of death of people at the end of life and partly explain this peak,” writes the statistical organization. The period also corresponds to a resumption of scheduled surgical operations, which can sometimes cause deaths.
This January 3, 2025 could, however, be less “deadly” than others. Because there are “aggravating” circumstances. Thus, according to this same INSEE study, Tuesday is the deadliest day of the week (while Sunday is the least).
This study, published on the occasion of All Saints' Day, also indicated that the risk of dying was higher on one's birthday, especially for young people. “This phenomenon, called birthday syndrome or birthday effect in English, has been observed in other countries,” explained INSEE. This could be explained by the increase in road accidents, falls and strokes, linked to alcohol consumption or even fatigue.
Conversely, according to INSEE, August 15 is the least deadly day of the year, with an average of 1,410 deaths per day. This is -12% compared to the entire period. “Deaths on public holidays (like August 15) are less frequent,” observes the statistical institute. “On the other hand, deaths on the road or in a public place increase on most public holidays: + 23% on January 1 and + 21% on July 14 compared to the 3 preceding and following days,” observes INSEE.
