Cardiovascular diseases and cancer most common causes of death in Austria

Cardiovascular diseases and cancer continue to be the primary causes of death in Austria, according to Statistik Austria. In the past year, these diseases accounted for 33.4 percent and 24.9 percent of all fatalities, respectively.

Despite these figures, the overall mortality rate in Austria has seen a significant decline between 2015 and 2025. Manuela Lenk, Director General of Statistics Austria, reported that fewer people, relative to the population structure, are dying from heart disease and cancer compared to a decade ago. This trend is largely attributed to increasing life expectancy, leading more individuals to live longer and thus be more susceptible to age-related illnesses.

While the absolute number of cancer deaths has increased, this is a consequence of more people reaching advanced ages. Among those over 80, cancer was the cause of death for about one in six individuals (just over 17 percent), while cardiovascular diseases affected 41.2 percent. For the 40 to 79 age group, cancer was the most frequent cause of death.

For younger demographics, suicide, cancer, and accidents were the most common causes of death for adolescents and young adults (aged ten to 40). In children aged one to ten, congenital malformations were frequent alongside cancer, while for infants, birth complications and congenital malformations were primary causes.

On average, deceased individuals had four accompanying conditions. Hypertension was the most common comorbidity, noted in over a quarter of all deaths. Those who died from AIDS, diabetes, or COVID-19 had a higher average number of comorbidities.