Over the past ten years, the mortality rate dropped by more than 13 percent in the Czech Republic. People are dying later in life and family life, better medical care, and an improving economy may all be all major factors behind the drop in mortality rate, the Czech Statistical Office announced.
The Czech Republic has less than 11 million inhabitants. Last year, 113,000 of them died.
The most frequent cause of death of Czechs is cardiovascular disease and cancer, contributing to nearly three-fifths of deaths last year. Despite their role in many Czech deaths, cancer and heart disease deaths are dropping as well
As for cardiovascular diseases, according to experts, it is difficult to prove the influence of preventive measures. Therefore, experts suppose that a healthier lifestyle for Czechs, as well as more effective treatment and monitoring of the diseases, are behind improving statistics.
For women and men, the three most common causes of death – cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and strokes – are the same. However, the fourth most common cause of death differs between genders.
In the case of men, accidents are the fourth most common cause of death but eighth for women. Conversely, women are more likely to die from Alzheimer’s disease, other dementias and diabetes.
Czechs die at a higher age
Between 2009 and 2018, the mortality of men decreased by 13 percent and by 14 percent for women. According to statistics, the decline is mainly due to a decrease in deaths caused by heart diseases, malignant tumors, and strokes.
Statistics also show that Czechs are dying later. Middle-age mortality is decreasing, and deaths are gradually concentrated to the highest age groups around 85 years, especially among women.
Experts also speculate about the role of the Czech Republic’s improving economy over the last ten years as contributing to lower mortality rates. Studies have shown that unemployment and difficult economic circumstances contribute to higher mortality rates.
Czechs most often die in the winter months and in March, at least between May and September.
Is marriage the recipe for a long life?
In general, married men and women have lower mortality in the Czech Republic. On the contrary, it is the highest among singles.
Psychotherapist Vladislav Chvála points out that only marriages that last and with people that care for each other have a positive impact on human health. Other marriages, however, can have a very detrimental impact on human health.
According to Chvála, a divorce or break-up trauma, including a worsening relationship with children and living alone, have a major impact on the physical condition of a person. Statistics, however, are not able to capture this aspect of human life because they do not cover the subjectivity of patients, which only an intense relationship with a therapist can reveal.
In countries like the United States, life expectancy is actually falling. Labeled as “deaths of despair”, the U.S.’s white majority has greatly contributed to this worsening statistic through deaths from suicide, overdoses, and alcohol-related diseases.
