Circulatory system diseases were the leading cause of death in Turkey

The Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) has announced the 2025 death statistics. According to the figures released, while 489 thousand 734 people lost their lives in the country in 2024, this number rose to 491 thousand 684 in 2025. The crude death rate remained stable at 5.7 per thousand. In other words, there were 5.7 deaths per thousand people annually.

According to the statistics, 55.1 percent of the deceased were men, and 44.9 percent were women. Regional differences also stood out in the data. In 2025, the province with the highest crude death rate was Sinop with 10.8 per thousand, followed by Kastamonu, Giresun, and Balıkesir. On the other hand, mortality rates in provinces such as Şırnak, Hakkari, Van, and Batman remained well below the national average.

CIRCULATORY SYSTEM DISEASES AT THE TOP

When causes of death were examined, circulatory system diseases led the list at 34.7 percent. These were followed by types of cancer at 16.1 percent and respiratory system diseases at 15.1 percent. Of the deaths linked to the circulatory system, 42.3 percent were caused by ischemic heart diseases, 24.6 percent by other heart diseases, and 18.2 percent by cerebrovascular disorders.

In this category, the province with the highest recorded mortality rate was Çanakkale at 47.7 percent. Balıkesir, Hatay, and Burdur were among the other notable provinces. Conversely, Kilis, Hakkari, Istanbul, and Kayseri stood out among the provinces with the lowest mortality rates due to circulatory system diseases.

In terms of deaths from cancer, malignant tumors of the larynx, trachea, and lung were prominent, while colon and lymphoid-hematopoietic tumors also accounted for a significant share. The mortality rate from these diseases was measured as the highest in Ağrı and the lowest in Kilis.

DECLINE IN INFANT AND CHILD MORTALITY

There was a positive development in the infant mortality rate. Infant deaths, which were 8 thousand 484 in 2024, fell to 6 thousand 988 in 2025. The infant mortality rate per thousand live births dropped to 7.8 per thousand. Similarly, child deaths occurring within the first five years after birth also declined to 9.5 per thousand. This figure was at the 11.1 per thousand level the previous year.

The announced statistics show that circulatory system diseases and types of cancer maintain their weight in causes of death, while the decrease in infant and child mortality indicates that health policies are yielding positive results.

News Source: 12punto