Fewer deaths in 2022 compared to 2021 - DOSM

PUTRAJAYA - There was an eight per cent drop in the number of deaths in 2022, with 206,525 recorded compared to 224,569 in 2021, the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) said today.

It said that, of the total in 2022, 126,268 (61.1 per cent) were medically certified deaths and 80,257 (38.9 per cent) were non-medically certified deaths.

In releasing the statistics on causes of death, DOSM said Ischaemic heart diseases were the principal causes of death in 2022, with 20,322 deaths or 16.1 per cent of the medically certified deaths.

"Ischaemic heart diseases continued as the principal causes of death for the past two decades, except in 2021, where Covid-19 topped the list,” it said.

In terms of the age group, the principal causes of death for the population aged 41 to 59 as well as 60 and above were Ischaemic heart diseases at 20.0 per cent and 16.7 per cent, respectively.

Transport accidents, meanwhile, were the principal causes of death for the population aged 15-40 at 19.2 per cent, while pneumonia was the principal cause of death for the population aged 0-14 at four per cent.

"All states recorded Ischaemic heart diseases as the principal causes of death in 2022, except for Sabah and Sarawak which recorded pneumonia as the principal causes of death in the same year," it said.

The DOSM said Kelantan had the highest percentage of Ischaemic heart diseases at 23.3 per cent, followed by Perlis (23.1 per cent) and Melaka (20 per cent). - BERNAMA