Antonio Hugo Photo / Getty Images
In October, INSEE published a study on the periods, months and days when the French are most likely to die.
DEATH – January is a deadly month. And January 3, in particular. This is what emerges from an INSEE study published last October, carried out to find out “Which day do people die the most in France? “. And it is today that researchers are counting a higher average number of deaths.
From 2004 to 2023, researchers recorded an average number of deaths of 1,900 on January 3, compared to 1,600 for the whole year, or +19%, explains INSEE. “ January 3 is a winter day, which follows the end of year holidayssays the polling institute. The desire to spend these holidays with loved ones, as well as the desire to reach a new year could delay the onset of death of people at the end of life and partly explain this peak ».
INSEE also specifies that this period corresponds to a resumption of scheduled surgical operations. And therefore the risks of death that would result. As for funeral professionals, we make the same observation, without necessarily having further explanations. “We see that in the month of January, we have around 50% more activity, particularly linked to the viral load than we can have during the winter period”explains Tristan Falabrègue, funeral director, to franceinfo.
Reading this content may result in cookies being placed by the third party operator who hosts it. Taking into account the choices you have expressed regarding the deposit of cookies, we have blocked the display of this content. If you wish to access it, you must accept the “Third Party Content” category of cookies by clicking on the button below.
Play Video
“Birthday syndrome”
And if you were born on January 3, Saint Geneviève's Day, be careful: the other day on which the French tend to die more is that of their birthday. According to INSEE, from 1994 to 2023, the average of deaths on this day is 6% higher than the average. Called “ birthday syndrome » ou « birthday effect » in English, we do not only observe it in France.
Among the explanations put forward, alcohol and fatigue linked to party excesses can cause more road accidents, falls and cardiovascular accidents. The study also mentions a psychological dimension that could have a negative effect, such as a feeling of sadness or loneliness.
Still according to INSEE, the day when the French die the least is August 15, which is also a public holiday, with 1,410 daily deaths on average, i.e. – 12% compared to the whole year. The study specifies that deaths on public holidays are less frequent.
Also see on HuffPost :
Reading this content may result in cookies being placed by the third party operator who hosts it. Taking into account the choices you have expressed regarding the deposit of cookies, we have blocked the display of this content. If you wish to access it, you must accept the “Third Party Content” category of cookies by clicking on the button below.
Play Video
