The fatality ranking in Mexico
It seems that life in Mexico comes with a fairly specific instruction manual on how to get out of this world. According to the latest report from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi), our collective death certificate is signed mainly by five protagonists: heart diseases, diabetes mellitus, malignant tumors, liver diseases and accidents. This quintet of misfortune was responsible for 480,767 deaths, a figure that, for our understanding, represents 59% of the total deaths of the year. Basically, it is the Top 5 that no one would like to integrate.
In the grand final count of 2024, 819,672 deaths were recorded. And where do these numbers that make our blood run cold come from? Well, from the bureaucracy of death: the death certificates of the Civil Registry Offices and the Forensic Medical Services, with a little help from the records of the Civil Registry and the statistical notebooks of the Public Ministry Agencies. An inter-institutional collaboration to confirm what we already suspected: the grim reaper does not give up.
Shall we go up? Unfortunately, in mortality statistics
If you thought last year had been intense, get ready. The registered deaths increased by 2.5% compared to 2023. The crude rate stood at 630 per 100 thousand inhabitants, which means 11 more cases than the previous period. Of all this monumental figure, 797 thousand 566 people left for the afterlife specifically in 2024; The rest were deaths pending registration from previous years, because even dying there are administrative delays.
The distribution by sex leaves us with stark data: 55.9% of the deceased were men, compared to 44.0% of women. In 592 cases (0.1%), the sex was not even specified, a detail that surely took a backseat to the main issue. The most fatal months were January (with 9.7% of deaths), May (9.3%) and February (8.5%). It seems that the beginning of the year, with its unfulfilled resolutions and its January slope, is literally lethal.
The mortality map: CDMX vs. the Caribbean
Here comes the part where we can feel lucky… or not, depending on our zip code. The entity with the highest crude mortality rate was Mexico City, with 863 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. At the opposite extreme, as an oasis of (relative) survival, Quintana Roo was found, with a rate of 490. If we stick only to the deaths that occurred and registered in 2024, the country’s capital maintains its sad leadership (860), while Guerrero registered the lowest figure (444).
What is the reason for this unenviable record of CDMX? Well, it turns out that the capital concentrates a large number of medical and hospital units, both public and private, that provide health services to people from all over the country, especially from the surrounding states. Basically, many people go to the city to seek medical care and, in many cases, end their days there. It is the collateral effect of being the hospital center of the nation.
These death figures are not just numbers on a piece of paper; They are a reflection of the great public health challenges we face. Cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, both largely related to lifestyles and eating patterns, continue to take the cake. A reminder that, perhaps, we should reconsider that second plate of tacos and think more about our quality of life.
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