Specific causes of death

The majority of deaths are due to a few causes: Cardiovascular diseases, cancer, respiratory diseases, accidents and other violent deaths, as well as dementia. Since 2020 COVID-19 has been the third leading cause of death among men and women after cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Main causes of death
2021 Deaths Mortality rates1
 

Men

Women

Men

Women

All causes of death

35 105

36 087

501.7 342.2

Infectious diseases

445

449

6.2 4.1
COVID-19

3 156

2 801

42.5 24.1

9 265

7 615

136.3 92.9

   Colon2

583

475

8.4 5.3

   Lung

1 911

1 318

29.2 17.6

   Breast

6

1 363

0.1 17.1

Diabetes mellitus

570

525

7.8 4.6

Dementia

1 842

3 953

22.6 28.7

9 114

10 531

122.6 83.3

   Total heart disease

7 145

8 139

96.1 63

      Ischemic heart disease

3 616

2 695

49.8 21.5

   Cerebral vascular disease

1 408

1 904

18.7 15.9

Total respiratory diseases

1 937

1 675

25.8 15.9

Alcoholic liver cirrhosis

231

116

3.9 1.9

2 277

1 644

39.3 18.6

   Accidents

1 401

1 249

22.4 11.5

   Suicide

719

286

13.9 5.5
1 age-standardised mortality rate per 100,000 inhabitants
2 ICD-10: C18
Source: CoD

Provisional results of the Cause of death statistics during the COVID-19 pandemic

Cause of death reporting takes place following coding according to the WHO’s ICD-10 classification system. In accordance with international custom, reporting is done on an annual basis, which allows regional and temporal comparisons to be made. As usual, these statistics will continue to be produced for each year.

In order to produce timely information on causes of death with regard to mortality related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the FSO is currently accelerating the coding and publication process.

This means that from the calendar year 2020 onwards, the provisional results of the Cause of Death Statistics will be published continuously, depending on the current coding status. Taking account of COVID-19 as main and accompanying cause, the Cause of Death Statistics will be reported for each individual month. Due to expected late registrations and outstanding data, the results are provisional.

The following tables are published, each by month and sex:
(1) Most important causes of death with COVID-19 as concomitant disease
(2) Deaths with COVID-19 as main cause, with concomitant causes
(3) COVID-19 deaths according to the FSO population database and FOPH reporting system

The tables can be found on the website in German or French.

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Federal Statistical Office Sections Health Services, Population Health
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CH-2010 Neuchâtel
Switzerland
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+41 58 463 67 00

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Our English pages offer only a limited range of information on our statistical production. For our full range please consult our pages in French and German (top right hand screen).

https://www.bfs.admin.ch/content/bfs/en/home/statistics/health/state-health/mortality-causes-death/specific.html