In the first ten months of 2020, STATEC counted 3,601 deaths from different causes, the report states.
While mortality has tended to decrease in recent years, following the appearance of COVID-19, the number of deaths is higher than that recorded over the same period in 2019: 3,498 deaths an increase of +2.9%.
Statec's data show that since the declaration of the first death due to COVID-19 on 13 March 2020, and figures taken at the end of October, 2,739 deaths were recorded by the National Register of Physical Persons.
This equates to some 180 additional deaths when directly compared to the previous two year's rates (2,565 deaths for this year 2019 and 2,549 in 2018).
This number coincides more or more 161 deaths due to COVID-19 during this period.
If the number of deaths recorded in January, February, June and July 2020 is lower or comparable to the average over the last two years, a higher number of deaths have been observed for the other months.
For example, in April 2020, there are 70 more deaths than the 2018/2019 average.
Before the first death from COVID-19 (March 13, 2020) was recorded, 2020 followed previous trends. Luxembourg, like many other countries, was aware of a potential spike in mortality at this time time. However, a lower mortality rate
at the beginning of the year was mainly put down to a particularly mild winter which did not result in any impactful, or out of trend, flu-like related spikes.
This is particularly true for the month of February and the first half of March, where in recent years the number of deaths has been more or less stable: 1,072 deaths between January and mid-March 2018, 966 in 2019 and 902 in 2020.
As the population evolves from year to year, the evolution of mortality can be analysed through the mortality rate (number of deaths
/ average population).
For the first ten months of 2020, this rate is 5.7 degrees, which is more or less the rate for the same period in 2018 (5.9 degrees) and 2019 (5.6 degrees).
Between January and October 2020, the share of those who died aged 65 and over, for all genders, is 82.3%.
This percentage is quite similar to that observed in the two 82.9% in 2019 and 81.8% in 2018.
However, the ratio of those who have died aged 85 years is slightly 2020 higher than in previous years. On the other hand, that of the under 65 population is lower.
The average age of those who died in the first ten months 2020 is 80.3 years for women and 73.8 years for men.
This average age is quite similar to previous years. The average age of those who have died as a result of Coronavirus in Luxembourg is found to be the elderly, this confirms that COVID-19 is higher among those aged 80 years or older.
Statecs findings suggest that while Luxembourg's mortality rate is higher in 2020, and most certainly due to Covid-19, the rate of death is not out of step with many European countries. Indeed, in comparison to hard hit nations, the Grand Duchy's mortality remains significantly lower.
