How many deaths are registered per week?

How was the situation at the start of 2020?

In 2020, mortality stood at 3,143 per week on average in the weeks up to and including week 11 (9 to 15 March). This is slightly lower than last year, when the average over the first 11 weeks stood at 3,174. The first weeks of this year were not marked by a significant rise in influenza cases, and temperatures were not particularly low.

As of week 12 (16 to 22 March), the number of deaths increased to 5,082 in week 14 (30 March to 5 April). The rise coincides with the onset of the COVID-19 epidemic. In week 20 (11 to 17 May), approximately 2,750 people died. In the subsequent two weeks, mortality remained around this level and was slightly less than expected for this period.  In week 25 (15 to 21 June), 2,666 people passed away.

The first confirmed COVID-19 patient in the Netherlands was reported on 27 February 2020. The first death involving COVID-19 was reported on 6 March 2020. The COVID-19 outbreak was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 11 March 2020.

What are the projections?

Statistics Netherlands (CBS) receives mortality data on a daily basis. In general, some time elapses between the actual date of death and the moment when these data reach CBS. Death announcements are collected weekly (on Thursdays). Usually, mortality data collected on Thursday include slightly over 80 percent of all deaths over the previous week. This information provides an indication of what we can expect for the coming week.

From weeks 12 through 25, death announcements arrived faster than usual (the number of announcements received after one week averaged 85 percent of the total, excluding weeks with holidays).

For week 26, it is expected that the weekly number of deaths is approximately equal to week 21 up to and including week 25. The number of death announcements received after one week is 2,310. The mortality is therefore slightly lower than what you normally expect for this period.