Press release No. 213 of 4 May 2021
WIESBADEN – According to extrapolated figures of the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), 19,387 people died in Germany in Week 16 (19 to 25 April 2021). This is 8%, or 1,385 cases, above the average of the years 2017 to 2020 for that week. Compared to the previous week, the number of deaths increased again. According to most recent information, death figures in Week 15 (12 to 18 April 2021) amounted to 19,119, which was an increase of 3% compared to the average of the previous four years. This is shown by an ad hoc evaluation of provisional death figures. Applying an extrapolation method to incomplete reports allows first death figures for Germany to be released already after roughly one week.
| Week | Total number 2021 | Difference from avg 2017-2020 | COVID-19 Deaths | Relative difference from … | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| avg 2017-2020 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | ||||
| number | % | |||||||
| Sources: total death figures: Federal Statistical Office (as at 3 May 2021), COVID-19 deaths: Robert Koch Institute (as at 30 April 2021) | ||||||||
| Week 1 | 24.738 | +5.276 | 5.440 | +27 | +18 | +28 | +32 | +31 |
| Week 2 | 24.382 | +4.522 | 4.951 | +23 | +10 | +30 | +27 | +25 |
| Week 3 | 23.984 | +4.290 | 4.685 | +22 | +13 | +25 | +25 | +25 |
| Week 4 | 22.526 | +2.599 | 3.996 | +13 | +2 | +18 | +15 | +19 |
| Week 5 | 21.586 | +877 | 3.232 | +4 | -9 | +10 | +9 | +9 |
| Week 6 | 20.794 | +331 | 2.611 | +2 | -9 | +4 | +4 | +9 |
| Week 7 | 20.296 | -642 | 1.959 | -3 | -11 | -5 | +1 | +3 |
| Week 8 | 18.772 | -2.345 | 1.630 | -11 | -16 | -18 | -8 | -1 |
| Week 9 | 18.259 | -3.432 | 1.308 | -16 | -13 | -28 | -12 | -6 |
| Week 10 | 18.454 | -3.043 | 1.157 | -14 | -3 | -31 | -10 | -6 |
| Week 11 | 18.133 | -2.554 | 1.044 | -12 | -3 | -26 | -8 | -9 |
| Week 12 | 18.251 | -1.545 | 1.099 | -8 | +3 | -20 | -4 | -8 |
| Week 13 | 18.420 | -810 | 1.230 | -4 | +4 | -12 | -1 | -7 |
| Week 14 | 18.786 | -314 | 1.337 | -2 | +10 | -6 | +1 | -9 |
| Week 15 | 19.119 | +509 | . | +3 | +13 | 0 | +7 | -7 |
| Week 16 | 19.387 | +1.385 | . | +8 | +17 | +8 | +7 | +1 |
| Weeks 1 - 16 | 325.887 | +5.105 | . | +2 | +1 | -4 | +5 | +4 |
Number of COVID-19 deaths continuing to increase
A comparison of total deaths with the number of COVID-19 deaths by death date reported to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) is currently possible up to and including Week 14 of 2021 (5 to 11 April). In that week, there were 1,337 COVID-19 deaths, according to the RKI. For the third time in a row, the number increased again slightly compared with the previous week (+107 cases). Previously, the number of COVID-19 deaths had declined week by week from the beginning of the year. According to most recent information, total death figures in Week 14 were slightly below the average of the previous four years (-314 cases).
Unusually mild flu wave explains the current development of death figures
In Germany and worldwide, the activity of other respiratory diseases like influenza is again reported to be at an unusually low level. Typically, the intensity of flu waves in the past was also reflected in the total death figures and resulted in an increasing curve during the winter months. As there was almost no flu effect in the 2020/2021 season, the total death figures fell below the average of the previous years despite the new COVID-19 deaths as of mid-February 2021. They were markedly below average in March 2021 in particular. In the previous years, the flu waves reached their peak in March at the latest and afterwards lost momentum. This is why the current development of mortality figures has exceeded again the average of the previous years. In 2020 the coronavirus pandemic for the first time impacted the development of mortality figures from the end of March and, consequently, also had a slight effect on the average of the previous four years.
Mortality figures at the beginning of April close to the previous years' average in the Länder - except for Thüringen where they were above average
At the Länder level, mortality figures can currently be shown up to and including Week 13 (29 March to 4 April 2021). In Thüringen, the figures in that week were clearly above the average of the years 2017 to 2020 (+17% or +103 cases). In all other Länder, death figures were close to, or below, the average of the previous years in that week. Related to the whole of March, death figures were below the average of the previous years in all Länder, and most clearly so in Saarland, where they fell short of the average by 20%, or 275 cases. Death figures in March 2020 were closest to the average of the previous years in Thüringen (-2% or -61 cases).
A graphical overview of the development of mortality figures in all Länder is available here.
Low or moderate excess mortality in other European countries
The EuroMOMO network for mortality monitoring compares findings about excess mortality across Europe using another approach. Based on its own extrapolation of incomplete data reports and its excess mortality concept, the network also has first figures up to Week 16, which may however change due to late reporting. Currently, EuroMOMO does not report excess mortality for Germany in that week. Low excess mortality is reported for Belgium, Estonia, Italy and the Netherlands, while moderate excess mortality is indicated for Spain. Excess mortality periods of previous years are excluded in EuroMOMO’s approach for assessing development.
Methodological notes on the mortality figures for Germany:
The 2020 and 2021 ad hoc evaluation is based on first provisional data (raw data). These are mere counts of the cases of death reported by the registrar's offices; the usual data plausibility and completeness checks have not been carried out. Due to legal regulations concerning the reporting of deaths to the registrar’s offices and differences in the routines of registrar’s offices submitting data for official statistics, these data are still incomplete.
Because of the high relevance of timely mortality figures during the coronavirus pandemic, the Federal Statistical Office has developed an estimation model for the extrapolation of incomplete data. The model allows nationwide mortality figures to be provided already after roughly one week. The mortality figures of the last nine weeks are extrapolated using the figures so far submitted by the registrar’s offices. Therefore the figures can be slightly higher or lower at a later time. The estimate is based on the patterns observed in past reporting delays, some of which differ considerably between regions. Comparable results for the Länder are therefore only available after roughly four weeks.
The relevant notes in the ad hoc evaluation "Sterbefälle – Fallzahlen nach Tagen, Wochen, Monaten, Altersgruppen, Geschlecht und Bundesländern für Deutschland 2016 bis 2021" (Deaths – Number of cases by day, week, month, age group, sex and Land for Germany, 2016 to 2021) provide more detailed information on the extrapolation procedure. The tables also permit analyses of your own.
Periods of excess mortality in the course of a year can be identified on the basis of the provisional death figures. This reveals direct and indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on death figures at an early point in time. For that purpose, we compare the figures with the average of several previous years – as does the Statistical Office of the European Union (Eurostat) – to account for the varying impact of recurring seasonal effects (for instance due to flu or heat waves). The impact of the rising life expectancy and the increasing proportion of older people on the number of deaths to be expected cannot be considered by this comparison.
From March 2020, the figures can only be interpreted in the light of the measures taken to contain the coronavirus pandemic. In addition to preventing COVID-19 deaths, these measures and the change of behaviour may have contributed to reducing the number of deaths from other infectious diseases such as the flu, which also has an impact on the difference from the average. Decreases or increases in the number of deaths from other causes may also have an effect on total deaths. The mortality figures, however, do not provide information on the incidence of individual causes of death.
To give a final evaluation of the mortality development, the number of deaths is then placed in relation to the actual population in order to consider, for instance, the ageing process of the population in an adequate manner. The final results required for this, including all deaths reported late, are generally available by the middle of the following year, that is by mid-2021 for 2020. A first assessment is given in press release no. 044 of 29 January 2021.
The provisional mortality figures refer to the date of death, not the date on which a death was registered. As the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) currently publishes the reported COVID-19 deaths by death date until Week 14 of 2021, these can presently be compared until that week with the provisional total death figures. This does not include cases for which no information or implausible information on the date of death was reported. The results have not been corrected yet for late reporting and are expected to increase due to late reports. More background information on these data can be found on the RKI website.
More information:
The Federal Statistical Office provides more information on the ad hoc evaluation of mortality figures on its Deaths, life expectancy theme page and its Corona statistics webpage.
For background information on the calculation of excess mortality, current methods and results please refer to our podcast on mortality figures during the coronavirus pandemic.
