Suicide returned to the top 10 leading causes of death last year, while COVID-19 dropped out of the ranking, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said today.
Cancer remained the leading cause of death for the 43rd consecutive year, the ministry's data showed.
Ranked at No. 10, there were more than 4,000 suicides for the first time last year, while deaths related to COVID-19 dropped from the sixth spot on the list in 2023 to No. 14, the data showed.
Photo: Lin Hui-chin, Taipei Times
The top 10 causes of death were cancer, heart disease, pneumonia, cerebrovascular disease, diabetes, hypertensive disease, accidental injuries, chronic lower respiratory disease, kidney disease and suicide, the ministry said.
There were 201,383 deaths last year, a 2 percent decrease from the previous year, Department of Statistics section head Lu Shu-chun (呂淑君) said.
The mortality rate was 860.2 deaths per 100,000 people, a 2.3 percent drop from 2023, she added.
Using the age-standardized mortality rate formulated by the WHO in 2000, the mortality rate was 410.3 per 100,000 people, a decrease of 4.5 percent from the previous year, she said.
Death rates have almost returned to levels seen before the COVID-19 pandemic, she added, as those over the age of 85 accounted for 61,726 of the total number of deaths, or 30.7 percent, Lu said.
That was a decrease of 2,488 compared with 2023, although the average age of death remained the same last year, at 77.
The top 10 causes of death accounted for 149,479 of all deaths last year, or 72 percent, Lu said.
Although deaths from suicide and pneumonia increased, those from accidental injuries, diabetes and kidney disease decreased, she added.
There were 54,032 cancer-related deaths last year, and the top 10 cancers were the same as in 2023: lung, liver, colon, breast, prostate, oral, pancreatic, stomach and ovarian, the data showed.
Lung cancer was the most fatal of all cancers for the past 21 years, Lu said.
Although deaths from prostate and ovarian cancer increased last year, other cancers decreased, she added.
Additional reporting by CNA
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
Taiwan Travelogue (臺灣漫遊錄), which earlier this week became the first Taiwanese novel to win the International Booker Prize, is to be adapted into a television series through a Taiwan-Japan coproduction, producer Chang Chen-yu (張辰漁) said yesterday. Chang, a producer at World Softest Production Film Co, wrote on Facebook that the company had been searching for projects with international appeal that retain a strong Taiwanese identity after colleagues and Japanese partners strongly recommended the novel. After reading the book, Chang said he immediately decided to pursue the screen rights. “A great story has the power to transcend time and borders, and connect countless people,”
RSS