Mortality rates fall in first quarter in Malaga after two years on the rise due to pandemic

In the first 13 weeks of this year, 4,071 deaths were registered in the province, down 3.3 per cent compared to the same period in 2022

Nuria Triguero

Wednesday, 19 April 2023, 17:58

After two years of record mortality figures in Malaga province, it appears that this year the trend may be moderating, judging by the estimate of deaths for the first quarter released on Wednesday by the Spain's national statistics institute (INE).

The provisional figures show that in the first 13 weeks of the year (from 1 January to the end of March), 4,071 deaths have been registered in the province – a decrease of 3.3% compared to the same period in 2022 and 5.8% compared to 2021. However, the number of deaths has not returned to pre-pandemic levels. In this first quarter there have been 6.4% more deaths than in 2020 and 12.4% more than in 2019. In the last two years, the pandemic has masked the factor that is inexorably increasing mortality both in Malaga and throughout Spain: the ageing of the population.

The fall in mortality at the start of the year is more intense in Malaga province than in the rest of Andalucía and Spain: here there are 3.3% fewer deaths, while at national level the drop is barely 0.01% and at regional level, 1.1%. In the ranking of provinces at national level, Malaga is in 14th place in terms of the decrease in deaths. The province with the lowest decrease is Salamanca (-10.6%) and there are those with increases, such as Ceuta (+24.6%) or Toledo (+14.5%).

It should be remembered that last year a new all-time record number of deaths was reached in Malaga with 15,391 (provisional data), 5.4% more than those registered in 2021, which was also a record.

As for births, they continue their decline according to the estimates for January and February of this year: 1,911 new babies have been registered in the province in these two months, representing a decrease of 0.9% compared to the same period in 2022. At national level, the fall is more pronounced, 1.9%. On the other hand, in Andalucía as a whole there has been a slight increase in the birth rate of 0.5%.

Last year 12,302 births were registered in the Malaga province according to the INE's provisional estimate. This figure represented a fall of 2.3% compared to 2021. The national trend was similar (-2.1%) and the Andalusian trend was even greater (-3.6%).