ELSTAT report: Leading causes of death in Greece – High mortality rates in Eastern Macedonia and Thrace

The Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) has released its latest report on mortality rates in Greece, revealing that cardiovascular diseases and cancer remain the leading causes of death. The total number of deaths recorded in 2022 was 140,792 (70,795 men and 69,997 women), reflecting a 2.2% decrease compared to 143,904 deaths in 2021.

Main Causes of Death in Greece (2022)
1️⃣ Cardiovascular diseases (heart and vascular conditions) – 44,325 deaths
2️⃣ Cancer (neoplasms) – 29,532 deaths
3️⃣ COVID-19 – 16,173 deaths
4️⃣ Respiratory diseases – 13,165 deaths

COVID-19: Impact and Comorbidities
While COVID-19 continued to be a significant cause of death in 2022, most cases involved comorbid conditions:

4,743 deaths (29.3%) were solely due to COVID-19.
11,430 deaths (70.7%) involved underlying conditions, such as:
Cardiovascular diseases (4,320 deaths – 26.7%)
Cancer (2,468 deaths – 15.3%)
Endocrine and metabolic disorders (1,163 deaths – 7.2%)
The elderly were most affected, with the highest mortality in:

75+ age group (12,140 deaths)
60-74 age group (3,075 deaths)
45-59 age group (791 deaths)
Suicides and Violent Deaths on the Rise
🚨 Suicides increased by 10.5%, reaching 516 cases in 2022 (compared to 467 in 2021).
🚗 Traffic accidents caused 789 deaths.
🧍‍♂️ Falls led to 1,339 fatalities.
🌊 Drownings resulted in 380 deaths.
☠️ Poisonings accounted for 270 deaths.

Long-Term Trends in Mortality Causes
🔹 Cardiovascular disease deaths rose from 10% in 1938 to 31.5% in 2022.
🔹 Cancer-related deaths surged from 4.1% in 1938 to 21% in 2022.
🔹 Deaths from infectious diseases dropped dramatically, from 18.4% in 1938 to 2.4% in 2022.

Regions with the Highest Mortality Rates
📍 The highest mortality rates were recorded in:

• Central Macedonia
• Eastern Macedonia & Thrace
• Western Macedonia
• These regions had over 1,500 deaths per 100,000 people.

📍 The lowest mortality rate was in Attica, with 989.8 deaths per 100,000 people.

Government Response
Recognizing the high impact of cardiovascular diseases, the Ministry of Health has launched a free preventive screening program, sending SMS invitations to the general population for cardiac health check-ups.