A sharp increase in excess deaths in Ireland in December 2022 resulted in the highest excess mortality rate in the Republic since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic almost three years ago, according to new EU figures.
The latest data on the extra number of recorded deaths above historical averages shows Ireland had the fourth highest rate of excess mortality among the 27 EU member states last December.
They revealed that there were 25.4% more deaths in the Republic in December compared to the average number of deaths for the same month between 2016 and 2019.
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It represented the highest monthly rate of excess mortality in Ireland since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in April 2020 when it reached 38% and was a sharp increase on November figures when it was 15.5%.
The figures compiled by the European Commission provide a general measure of the impact of a health crisis on mortality rates by counting all deaths regardless of their cause.
Only Germany (+37.3%), Austria (+27.4%) and Slovenia (+25.9%) had higher excess mortality rates than Ireland, while the increases on average across the EU was 19% - the highest recorded average value during 2022.
However, the latest EU figures also show wide variation in excess mortality rates with Romania and Bulgaria recording levels below normal conditions, while Hungary, Luxembourg, Spain and Malta all had rates less than half the EU average.
According to the European Commission, the major peaks in excess death in the EU over the past few years have largely coincided with the Covid-19 pandemic. They were recorded in April 2020 (+25%), November 2020 (+40%), April 2021 (+21%) and November 2021 (+27%).
It pointed out that a sharp rise in the excess mortality rate last July was possibly due to the heatwaves that affected parts of Europe.
Apart from the start of the pandemic in 2020, Ireland’s excess mortality rate was below the EU average until March 2022.
Over the past 12 months, however, it has stayed above the EU average apart from last July.
In response to a parliamentary question earlier this month on the number of excess deaths in Ireland, the Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, said provisional figures showed there had been an excess of deaths from pneumonia and influenza over a three-week period between December and January as well as an increase in all deaths among 75-84 year-olds in the last two weeks of December.
However, Mr Donnelly said the estimates of excess mortality rates for recent weeks were “reported with some uncertainty and should be interpreted with caution.”
The minister said the Department of Health and the Health Protection Surveillance Centre actively monitor excess mortality rates to assess the impact of seasonal influenza, pandemics and other threats to public health.
Mr Donnelly said the HPSC anticipated that there would be additional excess mortality for the 2022/23 winter period over at least 4-5 weeks between December and January.
He noted that excess mortality rates have also been observed during previous periods when flu viruses had been circulating at high levels in Ireland and during certain periods of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Influenza activity was at very high levels in Ireland during December 2022 and early-mid January 2023, with a high number of influenza hospitalisations reported,” said Mr Donnelly.
He added: “Other important factors that may impact excess mortality include the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, circulation of other respiratory viruses, impacts of cold weather, an ageing population, health-seeking behaviour and access to healthcare.”
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