The latest preliminary data from the National Statistics Institute (INE) for 2024 confirms a worrying trend: cancer is and remains the leading cause of death in Spain. Accounting for 26.6% of all deaths, the sum of all tumors slightly surpasses cardiovascular diseases, which make up 26.1%. This marks the second consecutive year that cancer has taken the lead in mortality statistics.
In 2024, Spain recorded a total of 433,357 deaths, with 218,746 men and 214,801 women. Notably, 95.8% of these deaths were due to natural causes, while 4.2% were due to external causes.
The Most Common Cancers and Cardiovascular Diseases in Detail
Although tumors collectively represent the largest cause of death, detailed figures show interesting shifts within disease groups. Among deaths due to tumors, bronchial and lung cancer leads with 23,239 cases (an increase of 1.9% compared to 2023), followed by colon cancer with 10,434 deaths (a decrease of 4.6%).
In the realm of cardiovascular diseases, ischemic heart disease was the leading cause in 2024 with 26,851 deaths, a decrease of 3.2% compared to 2023. Cerebrovascular diseases followed with 22,786 deaths (2.7% less).
The crude mortality rate for Spain was 888.3 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, with the rate for men being higher at 914.2 deaths per 100,000 men compared to women (863.4 per 100,000 women). The 2.4% decrease in deaths from cardiovascular diseases compared to 2023 has resulted in the mortality rate due to tumors (236.4 per 100,000 inhabitants) now being higher than that of cardiovascular diseases (231.8).
Notable Developments in Other Causes of Death
Beyond the top categories, there were notable increases last year in deaths from kidney failure (up 10.3%) and pneumonia (up 7.7%). At the same time, colon cancer and diabetes mellitus saw the largest decreases.
A positive note is that COVID-19 did not rank among the 15 most common causes of death in Spain in 2024 for the first time since 2020. In the period 2020-2022, the pandemic was the leading cause of death.
Gender-Specific Differences in Causes of Death
The mortality statistics also reveal gender-specific differences:
- Men: Ischemic heart disease (16,892 deaths) was the most common cause, followed by bronchial and lung cancer (16,560) and cerebrovascular diseases (10,131).
- Women: Dementia (14,769 deaths) topped the list, followed by cerebrovascular diseases (12,655) and heart failure (11,060).
External Causes of Death: Suicide Remains a Serious Issue
In 2024, there were 18,304 deaths due to external causes, a slight increase of 1.5% compared to the previous year. Although suicides decreased by 6.6% to 3,846 cases, this still represents an alarming more than ten suicides per day in Spain.
Accidental falls remain the most common external cause of death with 4,407 deaths (6% more than the previous year), for the second year in a row. For men, suicides (2,834 deaths) and accidental falls (2,369) were the most common external causes of death, while for women, accidental falls (2,038) and drowning, submersion, and suffocation (1,736) were leading.
Regional Differences in Autonomous Communities
Regional data show clear differences:
- Deaths due to tumors: The largest increases were recorded in Ceuta (10.2%), Navarre (7.4%), and Asturias (6.6%). Decreases were observed in La Rioja (-2.4%), Galicia (-2.3%), and Aragon (-1.8%).
- Deaths due to circulatory system diseases: The Balearic Islands (9.2%), Galicia (1.9%), and the Basque Country (0.8%) saw the largest increases. The strongest decreases were recorded in the autonomous cities of Melilla (-14.9%) and Ceuta (-9.4%), and in the Canary Islands (-8.5%).
- Deaths due to respiratory diseases: La Rioja recorded the highest increase (44.2%), followed by Castile and León (14.1%) and the Basque Country (13.5%). Only in Melilla did the number of deaths from these diseases decrease (-7.8%).
These detailed statistics provide important insights into the health of the Spanish population and serve as a basis for targeted prevention and treatment strategies.
