Deaths, Slovenia, 2020

In 2020, almost 3,800 more people died than the average between 2015 and 2019
2020 was marked by the spread of a new coronavirus (COVID-19) and a higher number of deaths compared to previous years. In 2020, 24,016 people died in Slovenia: 11,733 men and 12,283 women. The crude death rate (number of deaths per 1,000 population) was 11.4 or the highest since we started to monitor death statistics (in 1954).

Excess mortality (i.e. excess number of deaths compared to the average number of deaths in the same periods in the past) in 2020 was 18.8%. This means that in this period, 18.8% (or 3,795) more people died compared to the 2015–2019 average.

Compared to the 2015–2019 average, the number of deaths in individual months of 2020 deviated the most significantly in November (91.6%), followed by December (81.8%).

66 people died per day on average in 2020 or on average 10 more than in 2015–2019. The excess number of deaths is also reflected in the fact that between 2000 and 2019 there was only one day in which 100 or more people died. In 2020, there were 38 such days, all of which were in November or December. The day with the highest number of deaths in 2020 was 6 December (130).

The week with the highest number of deaths in 2020 was the first week in December (30 November to 6 December). In that week 801 people died.



Mortality in 2020 higher than 2015–2019 average in all statistical regions
Excess mortality in 2020 compared to the 2015–2019 average was the highest in the Gorenjska statistical region (24%). This means that 24% more people died than the average in the same period between 2015 and 2019. Gorenjska was followed by Pomurska (23%), Koroška (21%) and Savinjska (21%). Excess mortality in 2020 compared to the 2015-2019 average was the lowest in the Goriška statistical region (6%).



Mean age at death in 2020 one year higher than in 2019
In 2020, the mean age at death was 79.2 years and was 1.1 years higher than the mean age at death in 2019. For men the mean age at death was 75.3 years (1.4 years higher than in 2019) and for women 82.9 years (0.8 years higher than in 2019).

The mean age at death for men is rising faster than the mean age at death for women. Since 1991, the mean age at death for men increased by almost 10 years (9.9 years) and for women by almost 8 years (7.9 years).

The share of premature mortality is still in decline
The share of premature mortality tells how many persons die (in %) before 65 years of age. In 2020, the share of premature mortality was 13.7% and was higher for men (19.4%) than for women (8.2%). The share of premature mortality among men is always higher than the share among women but is in decline for both sexes. Ten years ago (in 2010), the share of premature mortality of men was 30.7% and of women 12.5%.

In 2020, life expectancy at birth lower by almost a year
A boy born in 2020 can expect to live 77.81 years or 0.7 years less than in 2019. A girl born in the same year can expect to live 83.39 years or 0.8 years less than in 2019.

Infant mortality rate one of the lowest among EU-28 Member States
41 infants (24 boys and 17 girls) died in 2020, which is 2.2 per 1,000 live births. The infant mortality rate has been in decline in Slovenia. For comparison, in 1991, 8.2 infants died per 1,000 live births.

Natural increase in 2020 the lowest since 1945
In Slovenia, natural increase has been negative again every year from 2017 onwards, as more people die each year than are born. The COVID-19 epidemic and high mortality in 2020, especially in November and December, contributed to greater natural decrease: in 2020, it was −5,249 population or −2.5 per 1,000 population. This is the lowest value of natural increase in Slovenia after 1945.

New in the SiStat Database
In the SiStat Database the data on deaths and natural change of population are supplemented with new data for 2020 at different territorial levels.