Fewer COVID-19 deaths in Q2 than in Q1 2021

More recent figures are available on this topic. View the latest figures here.
© Hollandse Hoogte / ANP
In April, May and June 2021, there fewer COVID-19 deaths in the Netherlands than in the previous months. From the start of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020 up through June 2021, a total of 31,384 people died of this disease. In Q2, 16 percent of the people who died of COVID-19 received long-term care, versus 51 percent in the previous quarter. This is evident from provisional figures on causes of death up to and including June 2021, reported by Statistics Netherlands (CBS).

The COVID-19 mortality rate has decreased since February 2021. In April, 1,397 deaths were caused by suspected or confirmed COVID-19; this number stood at 935 and 248 in May and June, respectively.

COVID-19 deaths per month
JaarMaandConfirmed COVID-19 deaths Suspected COVID-19 deaths
2020March1715494
2020April48711506
2020May1113213
2020June19472
2020July6725
2020August13335
2020September30135
2020October2045125
2020November314186
2020December388384
2021*January437083
2021*February251357
2021*March161429
2021*April137918
2021*May9269
2021*June2444
* provisional figures

Figures on causes of death are based on the cause-of-death certificates that are completed by an attending medical practitioner. CBS receives these certificates via the municipality where the death occurred. CBS publishes data when more than 95 percent of the cause-of-death certificates related to the publishing period have been received and processed. The figures presented in this news release are based on 97.4 percent of all cause-of-death certificates received in April, on 96.7 percent of the certificates in May and on 96.0 percent of those in June. CBS also publishes mortality statistics on a weekly basis. The numbers are based on death records received by CBS on a monthly basis from the municipalities. These records do not contain any information about the cause of death.

COVID-19 mortality down among long-term care users

In Q2 2021, there were 424 COVID-19 deaths among people receiving care under the Long-term Care Act (Wlz). This is over 4,025 fewer than in the first quarter. Fifty-three percent (16,550) of the 31,384 deaths caused by confirmed or suspected COVID-19 and registered since March 2020 were people who had been receiving long-term care, such as in a nursing home. Since the second half of February 2021, this share has been declining: in Q1, it was 51 percent, while it was still 16 percent in Q2.

COVID-19 continued to be one of the main causes of death among long-term care recipients in the first quarter, accounting for 26 percent of mortality. This was still 3 percent in Q2. Among the rest of the population, COVID-19 also accounted for a smaller share of deaths in Q2: 8 percent (Q1: 15 percent).

COVID-19 deaths per week
JaarWeekLong-term care users (% of all weekly deaths)Rest of the population (% of all weekly deaths)
20201000
20201111
2020121111
2020132828
2020144532
2020155228
2020165020
2020174217
2020183211
202019267
202020176
202021144
202022103
20202372
20202442
20202531
20202621
20202721
20202820
20202910
20203010
20203111
20203221
20203331
20203431
20203521
20203621
20203721
20203851
20203983
202040104
202041146
2020422010
2020432514
2020443317
2020453618
2020463016
2020472716
2020482714
2020492513
2020502813
2020513516
2020524020
2020533921
2021*13820
2021*23819
2021*33817
2021*43315
2021*52815
2021*62914
2021*72514
2021*81914
2021*91513
2021*101112
2021*111012
2021*12812
2021*13614
2021*14513
2021*15613
2021*16412
2021*17513
2021*18512
2021*19410
2021*2038
2021*2115
2021*2225
2021*2313
2021*2422
2021*2511
*provisional figures

Decline continued into June

On a weekly basis as well, the number of deaths due to COVID-19 decreased. In the last week of June, 27 people died of this disease, equivalent to 1 percent of deaths. In April, the weekly number of COVID-19 deaths still stood at over 300, i.e. around 10 percent of total mortality.

Weekly mortality*
JaarWeekOther causes of deathCOVID-19
202013103
202023364
202033157
202043044
202053164
202063194
202073198
202082959
202093098
20201031015
202011318235
2020123202412
20201332081250
20201431651920
20201530051976
20201628381469
20201728131095
2020182713667
2020192552435
2020202495282
2020212552217
2020222580149
2020232575106
202024262366
202025264549
202026262534
202027260532
202028259325
20202925208
202030265318
202031264322
202032261128
202033315752
202034280648
202035270231
202036266427
202037270731
202038265367
2020392752139
2020402805195
2020412752269
2020422784434
2020432803643
2020442829854
2020452692894
2020462800779
2020472666665
2020482753649
2020492912614
2020502913695
2020512967938
20205227461116
20205329191183
2021*130001143
2021*228291023
2021*32881981
2021*42895821
2021*52924730
2021*62862687
2021*72877651
2021*82705502
2021*92683422
2021*102861385
2021*112693349
2021*122710334
2021*132814364
2021*142836326
2021*152797340
2021*162843301
2021*172808315
2021*182721279
2021*192776238
2021*202802186
2021*212694113
2021*222893116
2021*23282162
2021*24281851
2021*25264427
*provisional figures

Mortality with other causes of death

In Q2 2021, COVID-19 ranked fourth among the largest groups of causes of death: there were more deaths due to cancer, cardiovascular diseases, mental disorders and diseases of the nervous system (including Alzheimer's disease and dementia). In the previous two quarters, COVID-19 mortality was still significantly higher and virtually the same as mortality from cardiovascular diseases.

Mortality from respiratory diseases tends to peak in the first quarter. This peak was not observed in 2021, possibly due to the absence of a flu outbreak. In Q1 2021, there were also fewer deaths from cardiovascular diseases and from mental disorders and diseases of the nervous system than in the same quarter of 2020 and 2019.

Mortality by cause of death*
Doodsoorzaak2021* (x 1,000)2020 (x 1,000)2019 (x 1,000)
Neoplasms
Q111.27012.07311.867
Q211.59411.38911.529
Q311.84011.691
Q411.74411.903
Cardiovascular diseases
Q19.10210.26010.043
Q28.5388.6009.001
Q38.3108.505
Q49.4099.992
Mental disorders and
diseases of the nervous system
Q14.5435.6785.832
Q24.6864.7145.186
Q34.9065.134
Q44.7565.399
Respiratory diseases
Q12.2143.9604.175
Q22.2342.2382.961
Q32.1082.269
Q42.1893.219
COVID-19
Q18.6662.209
Q22.5807.969
Q30.596
Q49.364
*provisional figures

Data sources for CBS and RIVM

From 21 September 2020 to 27 June 2021 inclusive (as at 1 November), the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) reported 11,379 COVID-19 deaths based on data received from the municipal health services (GGD). In the same period, CBS registered 20,298 confirmed COVID-19 deaths based on cause-of-death certificates. In addition, there were 515 deaths from suspected COVID-19 as the underlying cause of death. Altogether, this is 20,813 COVID-19 deaths.

There are several explanations for the discrepancies between CBS and RIVM figures. Firstly, there may have been cause of death forms carrying the indication COVID-19 as the cause of death based on the clinical picture, but not confirmed by laboratory testing. These deaths are not included in the RIVM figures. Secondly, deaths which were confirmed cases of COVID-19 (and tested positive in the laboratory) may not have been (directly) reported as such to the GGD (partially because there is no reporting obligation for COVID-19 deaths). This means they are not included in the RIVM figures. Furthermore, reported mortality figures over previous periods are still subject to revision, due to more data on COVID-19 deaths over earlier periods that are received by RIVM at a later stage. CBS will update the figures on causes of death when these data have also been processed.