Health, lifestyle, health care use and supply, causes of death; from 1900

Dataset is not available.


This table presents a wide variety of historical data in the field of health, lifestyle and health care. Figures on births and mortality, causes of death and the occurrence of certain infectious diseases are available from 1900, other series from later dates.
In addition to self-perceived health, the table contains figures on infectious diseases, hospitalisations per diagnosis, life expectancy, lifestyle factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption and obesity, and causes of death. The table also gives information on several aspects of health care, such as the number of practising professionals, the number of available hospital beds, nursing day averages and the expenditures on care.
Many subjects are also covered in more detail by data in other tables, although sometimes with a shorter history. Data on notifiable infectious diseases and HIV/AIDS are not included in other tables.

Data available from: 1900

Status of the figures:
2023:
The available figures are definite.
2022:
Most available figures are definite.
Figures are provisional for:
- notifiable infectious diseases, HIV, AIDS;
- expenditure on care.
2021:
Most available figures are definite.
Figures are provisional for:
- notifiable infectious diseases, HIV, AIDS;
- hospital admissions according to diagnosis;
- quantitative hospital data;
- health professions.
Figures are revised provisional for:
- expenditure on healthcare.
2020:
Most available figures are definite.
Figures are provisional for:
- notifiable infectious diseases, HIV, AIDS.
Figures are revised provisional for:
- expenditure on healthcare.
2019 and earlier:
Most available figures are definite.
Due to 'dynamic' registrations, figures for notifiable infectious diseases, HIV, AIDS remain provisional.


Changes as of 22 December 2023:
- For each series the most recent available figures have been added.

When will new figures be published?
December 2024.

Description topics

Lifestyle
Some factors that may influence health: smoking, drinking alcohol, being
overweight and use of the contraceptive pill.
Use of contraceptive pill
Percentage of women aged 16 to 50 years who use an oral contraceptive.
In 2017-2019: percentage of sexually active women aged 16 to 50 years who use an oral contraceptive.
Percentages of 2017-2019 therefore can not be compared to earlier years. Percentages from 2020 onwards are comparable to figures of 2016 and before.
Sexually active women are women who have had sex in the 12 monthes preceeding the interview.
Birth and life expectancy
Perinatal mortality, average age of mother at birth of first child,
number of multiple births and (healthy) life expectancy at birth.
Perinatal mortality
Total number of stillbirths after a pregnancy of at least 28 weeks, plus
babies who die in the seven days following birth.
Infant mortality
Number of live born children who die before their first birthday.
Average age of the mother at 1st birth
Arithmetic average of the ages of mothers of all live born first
children. The mother's age is her age on 31 December of the year the
child is born.
Multiple births
Deliveries of two or more babies from the same pregnancy.
Life expectancy at birth
Number of years a baby is expected to live when it is born, according to
the life expectancy tables. Life expectancy tables show how many babies
per 100,000 will reach the age of 0.5, 1.5, 2.5 years etc. on the basis
of the mortality rate for a given period or birth cohort.
Men
Women
Healthy life expectancy at birth
Number of years a baby is expected to live in good health when it is
born. Good health is defined as absence of chronic disease, absence of
physical limitations, or perceived good health.
Life expect. in experienced good health
The calculation of healthy life expectancy is based on the answer to the
question 'How is your general state of health?' People who reply 'good'
or 'excellent' are defined as healthy. Questions on self-reported health
are included in the Integrated System of Social Surveys (POLS).
Men
Women
Life expect. without physical limit.
Life expectancy without major physical problems is calculated on the
basis of data on long- term limitations in mobility, sight and hearing.
People who reply 'yes, without difficulty' or 'yes, with a little
difficulty' are defined as having no physical limitations.
- Can you follow a conversation in a group of 3 or more people (with or
without a hearing aid)?
- Can you have a conversation with one other person (with or without a
hearing aid)?
- Is your sight good enough to read the small print in the newspaper
(with or without glasses or contact lenses)?
- Are you able to recognise somebody's face at a distance of 4 metres
(with or without glasses or contact lenses)?
- Can you carry an object weighing 5 kilos, for example a shopping bag,
over a distance of 10 metres?
- Can you bend down from an upright position to pick something up from
the floor?
- Can you walk a distance of 400 metres without stopping (with or without
a walking stick)?
These questions are included in the Integrated System of Social Surveys
(POLS) and are asked only of persons aged 12 years or older. In the
calculation of life expectancy without physical limitations it is assumed
that these disorders do not occur in persons under the age of 12.
Men
Women
Life expectancy without chronic dis.
A number of diseases leading to death or seriously affecting quality of
life were selected to determine life expectancy without chronic disease.
People who did not have or had not had any of the following diseases in
the twelve months preceding the survey are defined as not suffering from
chronic disease.
- serious heart condition and/or myocardial infarction (12 years or older)
- asthma, chronic bronchitis, pulmonary emphysema or chronic non-specific
pulmonary disease
- cancer
- stroke (12 years or older)
- diabetes
- serious or chronic gastrointestinal disorders
- chronic arthritis (Bechterew's disease, chronic rheumatism, rheumatoid
arthritis)
- serious or chronic backache (including slipped disk)
- degenerative arthritis in hips or knees (12 years or older)
- hypertension (high blood pressure)
- migraine or recurring serious headaches
Questions on chronic diseases are included in the Integrated System of
Social Surveys (POLS). Serious heart condition and/or myocardial
infarction, stroke and degenerative arthritis in hips or knees) are
assumed not to occur in children under 12 years of age.
Men
Women