Covid remains third main cause of death
Covid-19 was the third leading cause of death in Switzerland in 2021, as in 2020. Only cardiovascular diseases and cancer contributed more to mortality.
However, the total number of deaths fell in the second year of the pandemic – from 76,195 in 2020 to 71,166 in 2021, the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) said on Tuesday.
The mortality rate has thus returned to the usual level of around 70,000 deaths a year.
Almost half of the deaths were due to cardiovascular diseases (27%) or malignant tumours (22%), the FSO said. Covid-19 was the main cause of death for 8% of the total, compared with 12% in 2020. Men accounted for the majority of Covid deaths.
Other leading causes of death included dementia, circulatory diseases, diabetes and accidents and violent deaths, including suicide. Influenza, on the other hand, caused almost no deaths. Two fatal cases of influenza were recorded in February and one in December.
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