There were 31,140 deaths in Ireland in 2018 of which 16,045 were males and 15,095 were females. This is equivalent to a rate of 6.4 deaths per 1,000 total population, an increase of 0.1 from 2017. The crude death rate per 1,000 of population has shown a gradual downward trend since the beginning of the century with significant long-term falls in the death rates particularly at the younger ages. See tables 3.1, 3.2, figure 3.1 and figure 3.2.
Additionally, significant decreases in the number of deaths due to circulatory disease have been recorded, down from an average of 4.5 per 1,000 of the population in the years 1981-1990 to 1.9 per 1,000 of the population in 2018. See table 3.32.
The 2018 rates in Figure 3.1 and Figure 3.2 are based on estimated usual residence census of population figures.
| For long labels below use to display on multiple lines | Total Deaths | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 6.3 | 6.5 | 6.2 |
| 2009 | 6.3 | 6.5 | 6 |
| 2010 | 6.1 | 6.3 | 5.9 |
| 2011 | 6.2 | 6.4 | 6.1 |
| 2012 | 6.4 | 6.6 | 6.1 |
| 2013 | 6.4 | 6.5 | 6.2 |
| 2014 | 6.3 | 6.4 | 6.1 |
| 2015 | 6.4 | 6.6 | 6.3 |
| 2016 | 6.5 | 6.7 | 6.3 |
| 2017 | 6.3 | 6.5 | 6.2 |
| 2018 | 6.4 | 6.7 | 6.2 |
| For long labels below use to display on multiple lines | Total over 65 | Male over 65 | Female over 65 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 45.2 | 48.4 | 42.7 |
| 2009 | 43.9 | 47.3 | 41.1 |
| 2010 | 42.4 | 44.8 | 40.4 |
| 2011 | 41.8 | 43.9 | 40.1 |
| 2012 | 41.9 | 44.3 | 39.9 |
| 2013 | 41.4 | 43.1 | 40 |
| 2014 | 39.9 | 41.5 | 38.4 |
| 2015 | 40.1 | 41.7 | 38.8 |
| 2016 | 39.8 | 41.6 | 38.3 |
| 2017 | 38.5 | 40.2 | 37 |
| 2018 | 37.9 | 40 | 36.1 |
Standardised death rates comparison between EU member states
For comparison purposes between the EU member states, the age effect can be taken into account by using a standard population. See technical notes.
As method for standardisation, the direct method is applied. Standardised death rates are calculated for the age group 0-64 ('premature death') and for the total of ages. As most causes of death vary significantly with people's age and sex, the use of standardised death rates improves comparability over time and between countries.
The latest available European Union standardised death rates are for 2017 and these rates are presented in Table 3.31. The standardised death rate presented for Ireland for 2017 is 951.41. This rate is below the standardised rate for the European Union 28 countries for which a rate of 997.59 has been calculated. See link https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/bookmark/0346b076-5057-45c1-9f26-9cdbe4ae69eb?lang=en.
The Irish standardised death rate in 2017 was below that of the United Kingdom, 992.34 compared with 951.41. See table 3.31.
Standardised death rates comparison between counties
Variations in the age distribution of the population from one area to another have an effect on the comparability of death rates between different areas. Comparisons over a period of years are also affected by changes in the age and sex structures of the population. If a particular county contains a large proportion of elderly persons, the crude death rate per 1,000 of population will be relatively high even if the health conditions in that area are better than the general average. In an attempt to overcome this, standardised rates are prepared. For a particular county this is done by calculating the death rate in each age group of the population in that county and multiplying the death rate in each age group by the population in the whole country in that age group, summing the resulting products and dividing by the overall population.
The standardised death rate for Ireland per 1,000 of population in 2018 was 6.4 and the corresponding rate for 2017 was 6.3. In certain areas the standardised death rates differ significantly from the crude rates, for example Fingal which had a crude death rate of 3.6 and a standardised rate of 5.4 (reflecting the very young age structure in Fingal).
The standardised death rates in 2018 were lowest in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown (at 5.3 per thousand population) and highest in Limerick City (at 8.0 per thousand population). See table 3.3.
| For long labels below use to display on multiple lines | Causes of Death Male 2018 (%) |
|---|---|
| circulatory | 30 |
| malignant neoplasms | 30.8 |
| respiratory diseases | 12 |
| external | 5.9 |
| remainder | 21.4 |
| For long labels below use to display on multiple lines | Causes of Death Female 2018 (%) |
|---|---|
| circulatory | 28.3 |
| malignant neoplasms | 28.6 |
| respiratory diseases | 14.1 |
| external | 3 |
| remainder | 25.9 |
Causes of Death
Of deaths occurring in 2018, 72.7% were attributed to 3 main chapters in the ICD-10 classification: IX (I00-I99) II (C00-D48) neoplasms (30.5%), diseases of the circulatory system (29.2%) and X (J00-J99) diseases of the respiratory system (13.0%). A similar overall breakdown is evident for males and females. See table 3.8A.
Within different age groups, there are significant differences in the assigned underlying causes of death. For those aged less than five years of age, the main cause of death was certain conditions originating in the perinatal period (44.4%). In this age group, 48.6% of male deaths and 39.6% of female deaths were attributed to these causes. Congenital malformations and chromosomal abnormalities also accounted for a large volume of deaths (35.4%) in this age group. The numbers of deaths in the 0-4 age group are very much dominated by infant deaths (87.9% aged under 1 year). See tables 3.9 and 3.10 and chapter 4.
In the age group 5-14, neoplasms were the main underlying cause of death (25 %) with 26.7% of male deaths and 22.2% of female deaths recorded in this category. See tables 3.9 and 3.10.
A large proportion of deaths in age groups, from ages 15 to 34, were due to external causes of injury and poisoning (53.8%). Almost two-thirds (61.7%) of males aged 15 to 34 died due to external causes of injury and poisoning. The corresponding figure for females was 39.9%. Additionally, there were almost 2.75 male deaths to 1 female death in this age group. External causes of injury and poisoning were also the main causes of death for males aged 35-44 (43.7%), while neoplasms were the main causes of female deaths in this age group (48.8%). See tables 3.9 and 3.10.
From 45 to 74 years of age, neoplasms were the main underlying cause of death (45.6%). Within the female age cohort of 45 to 64 years, 57.8% of deaths were due to neoplasms compared to 37.8% of males in the same age group. See tables 3.9 and 3.10.
In the older age groups (75 years and over), 33.2% of deaths were due to diseases of the circulatory system. See tables 3.9 and 3.10.
Deaths classified by place of occurrence
There were 12,269 (or 39.4%) deaths that occurred in General and Orthopaedic hospitals in 2018 while 4,895 (15.7%) deaths occurred in nursing homes and 2,373 (or 7.6%) of deaths occurred in hospices. Domiciliary (Home) deaths accounted for 7,012 (22.5%) deaths. See tables 3.5A and 3.5B.
Of those aged 75 and over, 38.1% died in General and Orthopaedic hospitals followed by Nursing homes (22.2%) and 18.9% died at home. See Table 3.5B
Dementia and Alzheimer's
In 2018 there were 1,879 deaths due to dementia of which 1,168 (or 62.2%) were female while there were 567 deaths due to Alzheimer's of which 376 (or 66.3%) were female. See tables 3.35 and 3.36.
Neoplasms
The term "cancer" implies malignancy, but neoplasms can be subclassified as either malignant, benign, in situ, or uncertain whether malignant or benign.
Tables that classify neoplasms will contain malignant neoplasms but also the other classifications.
There were 9,500 deaths due to neoplasms in 2018, 2.0 per 1,000 of population. Of these, 9,258 were due to malignant neoplasms, 4,936 males and 4,322 females. See tables 3.12, 3.13, 3.14 and 3.33.
Malignant neoplasm of the digestive organs was the most common of these cancers (31.1%). Deaths due to cancer of the digestive organs was the most common form of malignant neoplasm in males and females at 34.2% and 27.5% respectively. Breast cancer was the most common type of malignant neoplasm for females aged between 35 and 54 years at 36.2%. Neoplasms was the most common cause of death in males (40.2%) and females (51.7%) aged from 35 to 74 . See tables 3.9, 3.10, 3.13, 3.14 and 3.15.
Limerick City had the highest age standardised death rate from neoplasms, 2.5 per 1,000 of population, while Offaly, Waterford County, Galway City and Leitrim had the lowest rates at 1.6 per 1,000 of population. See table 3.12.
Diseases of the Circulatory system
There were 9,084 deaths attributed to diseases of the circulatory system in 2018, of which 4,809 were deaths of males and 4,275 were deaths of females.
Overall, diseases of the circulatory system were the second most common causes of death in 2018 (29.2%), 1.9 deaths per 1,000 of population. Almost 72.7% of deaths due to diseases of the circulatory system occurred where the person was aged 75 and over. For deaths due to circulatory disease in those aged under 75, there were 2.5 male deaths to 1 female death. See tables 3.9, 3.12 and 3.17.
For deaths caused by diseases of the circulatory system, 46.8% were due to ischaemic heart diseases, accounting for 54.9% of males and 37.6% of females. Almost a fifth (18.2%) of these deaths were due to cerebrovascular diseases, accounting for 15.1% of males and 21.7% of females. Acute myocardial infarction accounted for 1,761 (41.4%) of the 4,250 ischaemic heart disease deaths. See tables 3.16 and 3.18.
Leitrim recorded the highest age-standardised death rate for diseases of the circulatory system, 2.7 per 1,000 of population, while Fingal recorded the lowest at 1.4 per 1,000 of population. See table 3.12.
Respiratory Diseases
Deaths from diseases of the respiratory system in 2018 numbered 4,051, of which 1,920 were males and 2,131 were females. There were 1,736 deaths (42.9%) from chronic lower respiratory diseases and 1,207 deaths (29.8%) due to influenza and pneumonia. See table 3.19, 3.20, 3.21 and 3.28.
Diseases of the respiratory system accounted for 13.0% of all deaths (0.8% age-standardised death rate per 1,000 of population), affecting, in particular the older age groups, with 77.1% of these occurring in persons aged 75 and over. See tables 3.9, 3.12 and 3.20.
Limerick City recorded the highest age-standardised death rate for diseases of the respiratory system, 1.3 per 1,000 of population, while Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown recorded the lowest at 0.6 per 1,000 of population. See table 3.12.
Accidents, poisoning and violence
The number of deaths from external causes of injury and poisoning occurring in 2018 was 1,398, of which 948 were males and 450 females. As has been mentioned, deaths not registered within the year of occurrence or the subsequent calendar year, have been excluded from the main body of this report. The exclusion of these cases may have a relatively more significant effect on the number of deaths classified to some external causes. See tables 3.8a and 3.9.
Accidents accounted for 64.3% of all external causes of injury and poisoning, while intentional self-harm accounted for a further 31.3%. Events of undetermined intent accounted for 2.4%, while deaths due to assaults accounted for 1.6%. Complications of medical and surgical care and sequelae of external causes of morbidity and mortality accounted for the remaining 0.5%. See table 3.22.
Almost 2.1 as many males died due to external causes compared to females in 2018. Differences in more specific causes of death and also within different age-groups were also significant. Just over 1.8 as many males died due to accidents compared to females in 2018. The majority of accidental deaths in males under 25 years of age were due to land and transport accidents (50.0%) while the greatest cause of accidental deaths in the male 25 to 54 year age groups was due to poisoning by and exposure to noxious substances (30.3%). The majority of female accidents occurred in the older age-groups, particularly in females aged 75 and over which accounted for 53.7% of female accidents, 53.2% of these were from falls. See table 3.23.
There were 437 deaths due to intentional self-harm in 2018, 327 (or 74.8%) males and 110 (or 25.2%) females. The highest number of deaths, 98, recorded from intentional self-harm were in the 35-44 age group (22.4%). There were 85 (19.5%) such deaths in the 45-54 age group.
Death due to intentional self-harm is classified as an unnatural death and therefore, must be referred to the Coroner for investigation. This investigation can take a protracted length of time to complete for various reasons (such as getting medical reports, health and safety reports, engineer’s report, the involvement of the Director of Public Prosecutions etc.) and this delays the registration of such deaths in time for inclusion in this report. To address this problem the CSO publishes tables of late registered deaths. See Appendix 2018, which forms part of this report, to ascertain numbers of deaths registered late from intentional self-harm. The 2018 Appendix includes late registered deaths from intentional self-harm that were registered in 2018 but refer to the year that the death occurred i.e. 2016 and prior. See table 3.C and 3.D.
For example, there were 89 additional deaths from intentional self-harm that were registered in 2018 but occurred in 2016 and prior. Of these 89 additional suicide deaths, 79 (or 88.8%) occurred in 2016 while 6 (or 6.7%) occurred in 2015. The remaining 4% occurred in earlier years. Over three-quarters of these 89 deaths, (74 or 83.1%), were male. The late registered suicide deaths that occurred in 2018 will be included in the Appendix in the Vital Statistics Annual Report for 2020. Due to the delay in registering such deaths the number of deaths from suicide is a provisional figure, and is updated annually following Coroner verdicts:
Example:
Deaths from intentional self-harm published in the 2016 annual report: = 437
Males 350
Females 87
Additional deaths from intentional self-harm registered in 2018
and occurring in 2016 = 79
Bringing total to: = 516
Subtotal: Males 350 + 67 = 417
Females 87 + 12 = 99
See Appendix Table 3.D
The 516 is a provisional figure as it can be added to as necessary when deaths that occurred in 2016 but are not registered until 2019 are known. The late registered deaths 2019 will be included in that years Annual Report. These additional recorded deaths from intentional self-harm are updated annually on the CSO databank tables VSD33 and VSD34. See link https://statbank.cso.ie/px/pxeirestat/Database/eirestat/Deaths%20Occurrence/Deaths%20Occurrence_statbank.asp?SP=Deaths%20Occurrence&Planguage=0
Events of undetermined intent accounted for an additional 33 deaths in 2018. See tables 3.22, 3.23, 3.24 and 3.34.
Cavan, Cork City, Limerick City, Monaghan and Waterford City recorded the highest age-standardised death rates for external causes of injury and poisoning, 0.5 per 1,000 of population while Carlow, Donegal, Dublin City, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal and South Dublin recorded the lowest at 0.2 per 1,000 of population. See table 3.12.
Inquests and Post-mortems
The number of deaths on certificates issued by coroners as a result of inquest and post-mortem examinations during 2018 was 4,794 compared with 4,588 in 2017 and 4,863 in 2016.
For deaths coding methodology see >>> Technical Notes
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