While there are usually around 70,000 deaths in Switzerland in a normal year, in 2020 there were 76,195 deaths, 12.4% more than in the previous year, the Federal Statistical Office reported on MondayExternal link. This increase was due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it said.
Of the Covid-19 deaths, 52.7% were men and 47.3% were women. However, the office said a final assessment of the pandemic could only be made once it is over and the causes of death for all affected years are available.
A total of 8,739 more people than expected (46.9%) died aged 65 and over; 301 more people than expected (11.7%) died aged under 65.
The mortality rate due to cardiovascular diseases has decreased significantly in Switzerland over the past ten years. Between 2010 and 2019 it fell by 41.3% for men and by 32.7% for women. In 2020, however, it increased by 2.3% for men and 0.1% for women compared with the previous year.
Fewer people have also died of cancer in the past ten years. Between 2010 and 2019 the death rate for men decreased by 23.2% and for women by 11.6%. In 2020 there was a year-on-year decrease of over 3% for both men and women.
More
More
It’s not all about age: why Covid hits some people harder than others
This content was published on
New insights: two studies involving Swiss scientists suggest genes and blood sugar levels play a crucial role in the course of Covid-19.
The death rate due to external causes such as accidents and violence has decreased by 19.1% for men and 11.5% for women over the past decade.
The suicide rate has decreased slightly over the past ten years, according to the statistical office. In 2020, 696 men and 276 women took their own lives in Switzerland. For men, this was a drop of 6.2% compared with the previous year; for women the figure remained exactly the same.
According to the FSO, the first results on the causes of death in 2021 will be published in October.
More
More
Coronavirus: the situation in Switzerland
This content was published on
An overview of the latest Covid-related information in the Alpine nation.
Macron will attend Swiss summit on Ukraine, says Zelensky
This content was published on
French President Emmanuel Macron will attend the peace conference on Ukraine at the Swiss Bürgenstock resort next month, according to Volodymyr Zelensky.
Top politician tells ‘corrupt’ Eurovision to stay away from Bern
This content was published on
A social media post by the president of Bern’s cantonal government critical of the Eurovision Song Contest has created waves and will be discussed in the cantonal parliament.
Swiss centre records over 200 victims of human trafficking
This content was published on
Last year 317 people took part in a protection programme run by the Specialist Unit for Trafficking in Women and Women’s Migration (FIZ) in German-speaking Switzerland.
This content was published on
The Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and partners are opening a field hospital in southern Gaza on Tuesday.
Lack of smartphone sustainability in Switzerland hits environment
This content was published on
Almost half of all Swiss citizens hang on to their old smartphones, tablets and laptops, according to the Federal Statistical Office.
Police clear out pro-Palestinian students protesting in Geneva
This content was published on
The police intervened early on Tuesday to dislodge pro-Palestinian students who had been occupying the University of Geneva for almost a week.
New gel developed in Zurich renders alcohol harmless
This content was published on
A newly developed gel composed of whey proteins breaks down alcohol in the body and could reduce its harmful and intoxicating effects in humans.
Pro-Palestine protests extend to Basel and Fribourg universities
This content was published on
Demonstrators called for an academic boycott of all Israeli institutions and disassociation with Chaim Weizmann, the first Israeli president.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Explainer: How ready is Switzerland for a new wave of Covid-19?
This content was published on
Covid-19 cases are on the rise again, sparking renewed talk of vaccination and a possible return to social distancing in the autumn.
Parliamentary body critical of Swiss pandemic preparedness
This content was published on
The Swiss government reacted passively to the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in spring 2020, a parliamentary audit committee has said.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.