Unnatural deaths slide by 20% in 10 years

A total of 3,400 persons died from accidents, suicides and violence in 2016, which was six per cent of all deaths, according to Statistics Finland’s data.

The number of deaths caused due to these reasons has decreased by one-fifth in 10 years. The main reasons for accidental and violent deaths are fatal stumbles, suicides and accidental poisonings.

Altogether, 54,000 Finnish people died in 2016. A majority of them died from diseases. In total, 3,400 persons died in accidents or as a result of violence, i.e. not natural causes.

In 10 years, the share of persons dying from accidents, suicides and violence has decreased from nine to six per cent, and the number of persons dying in this manner has declined by one fifth. In absolute numbers, accidental alcohol and pharmaceutical poisonings, as well as suicides have decreased most.

In 2016, a total of 63 persons died as a result of homicide. The typical victim was a man aged 50 to 54. The number of persons who died from murder, manslaughter and assaults has declined by more than 40 per cent in 10 years.

In 2016, two-thirds of those who died in accidents or as a result of violence were men. Among children and young people, slightly more boys than girls died of these reasons, but the biggest differences were visible for middle-aged persons. Middle-aged men’s mortality from accidents and violence was clearly higher than that of women. In the age group of more than 85, more women than men died. However, relative to the number of living people, elderly men died more often than women in accidents or as a result of violence.

Women who died in accidents or as a result of violence were, on average, older than men, with one in two women being aged 75 or more and one in four men. A majority of the accidents resulting in death of elderly people were stumbling and falls.