Excess deaths down in EU but not in Cyprus

For the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was no excess mortality recorded in the EU in February 2023, while Cyprus recorded the highest rate of excess mortality during the same month, according to data published by Eurostat.

In February 2023, two-thirds of the EU countries recorded no excess deaths (which means the indicator fell below the baseline, which is the average number of deaths for the same period in 2016-2019).

Among the countries that registered positive values, Cyprus (12.5% above the national monthly average for 2016-19) and Greece (+12.3%) recorded the highest excess mortality rates.

They were followed by Portugal (+5.8%), the Netherlands (+4.0%). Spain (+3.9%), Malta (+1.7%), Italy (+0.8%), Ireland (+0.7%) and Austria (+0.6%).

On an EU level, the indicator fell below the baseline to -2% in February 2023, for the first time since February 2020.

In comparison, the excess mortality rate in the EU was 8% in February 2022 (39 000 additional deaths), 6% in February 2021 (26 000 excess deaths) and almost -3% in February 2020.

The excess mortality rate remained high in the last quarter of 2022, reaching +12% in October, +9% in November and +19% in December, the highest recorded value of 2022. January 2023 registered a significant drop to +3% from the previous month and then it continued falling to the negative value of February.

The major peaks in excess deaths in the EU were registered in April 2020 (+25%), November 2020 (+40%), April 2021 (+21%) and November 2021 (+27%).

The major peaks in excess deaths in Cyprus were registered in August 2021 (+55%), March 2022 (+43%), January 2022 (+39%) and April 2021 (+27%).