Overview of 2024 Mortality Data
According to the latest official data released by the Spanish National Institute of Statistics (Instituto Nacional de Estadística, INE), a total of 436,118 deaths were registered in Spain in 2024, a figure that remained stable compared to 2023, with a slight decrease of 6 cases. By gender, the number of male deaths was 220,090, a 0.3% decrease year-on-year, while the number of female deaths was 216,028, showing a slight increase of 0.3%.
Cancer Surpasses Cardiovascular Diseases as the Leading Cause of Death
The most notable change in the report is that cancer has become the leading cause of death in Spain. In 2024, 115,578 people died from cancer, accounting for 26.5% of the year’s total deaths, an increase of 0.13% from 2023. Circulatory system diseases, long the top cause, fell to second place, causing 113,620 deaths. They were followed by respiratory diseases, nervous system diseases, and digestive system diseases. This shift underscores the urgency of cancer prevention and control on Spain’s public health agenda.
Significant Differences by Gender and Age
Gender disparities in causes of death remain evident. Cancer is the primary cause of death for men, accounting for 30.8% of all male deaths. For women, ischemic heart disease is the number one killer, responsible for 27.5% of female deaths, with cancer ranking second at 22.1%. Regarding specific cancer types, cancer of the trachea, bronchus, and lung is the main cause of cancer-related death for both genders. Additionally, men are more frequently affected by prostate, colon, and pancreatic cancer, while women face primary threats from breast, colon, and pancreatic cancer.
The Challenge of Chronic Diseases and an Aging Population
An analysis by age structure shows that cancer deaths are highly concentrated in the elderly population. Over half of all cancer deaths occurred in individuals aged 75 and over, and the number of deaths in the 45-74 age group also accounted for nearly half of the total. The data further reveals that among the causes of death for women, dementia, cerebrovascular diseases, and heart failure are more common. In contrast, men are more likely to die from ischemic heart disease and lung-related cancers. These statistics clearly indicate that, against the backdrop of an aging population, prevention, early screening, and intervention measures for chronic diseases are critically important.
