In the year 2025, 441,270 deaths occurred in Spain. By sex, 222,711 males and 218,559 females died.
The crude death rate stood at 894.1 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants (919.7 for men and 869.4 for women).
A total of 95.7% of deaths were due to natural causes and 4.3% to external causes.
Tumours remained the leading cause of death in 2025, accounting for 26.3% of all deaths, followed by diseases of the circulatory system (25.7%). There were no significant variations in the number of deaths from these causes compared to 2024.
For the second consecutive year, the death rate from tumours (235.4 per 100,000 inhabitants) exceeded that from diseases of the circulatory system (230.0).
In third place were the diseases of the respiratory system, with 12.4% of deaths and an increase of 9.0% compared to 2024.
Rates per 100,000 inhabitants
At a more detailed level, ischaemic heart diseases were the most frequent cause of death in 2025, with 26,711 deaths, 1.8% fewer than in 2024. They were followed, within the group of diseases of the circulatory system, by cerebrovascular diseases, with 22,341 deaths (2.4% fewer).
Among tumours, the most frequent causes were bronchial and lung cancer (23,479 deaths, 0.9% more than in 2024) and colon cancer (10,610 deaths, 1.5% more).
Absolute values and percentage change
* 2025 data published today are provisional
Among the most common diseases, the largest increases in the number of deaths were recorded for pneumonia (8.5% more) and kidney failure (5.1%). Conversely, those that declined the most were diabetes mellitus (-3.4%) and cerebrovascular diseases (-2.4%).
By sex, the leading causes of death among men were ischaemic heart diseases (16,830 deaths), bronchial and lung cancer (16,722), and cerebrovascular diseases (9,988). Among women, the leading causes were dementia (15,344 deaths), cerebrovascular diseases (12,353), and heart failure (11,194).
In 2025, there were 19,042 deaths from external causes, 691 more than in the previous year (3.8%). By sex, 11,992 men died (3.3% more) and 7,050 women (4.5% more).
Accidental falls were the leading external cause of death for the third consecutive year, with 4,814 deaths (8.2% more).
The second leading cause was drowning, submersion and suffocation (3,899 deaths, 6.7% more than in 2024). The third was suicide (3,808 deaths).
Meanwhile, the number of deaths due to road traffic accidents fell by 4.3%.
By gender, the most frequent causes of external death among men were suicides (2,784 deaths) and unintentional falls (2,590). For women, the most frequent causes were unintentional falls (2,224 deaths) and drowning, submersion and suffocation (1,805).
Absolute data and percentage change
* The 2025 data published today are provisional. In the case of deaths due to external causes, the time required to obtain autopsy results is longer than for natural deaths, so deaths from temporary external causes may be underestimated.
With regard to the leading causes of death, the highest death rates per 100,000 inhabitants for tumours were recorded in Principado de Asturias (381.3), Castilla y León (317.9) and Galicia (305.2). And the lowest in the autonomous cities of Melilla and Ceuta (150.5 and 161.3, respectively) and in Comunidad de Madrid (192.0).
The highest death rates for diseases of the circulatory system were recorded in Principado de Asturias (342.7), Galicia (330.7) and Aragón (313.4). And the lowest in the autonomous city of Melilla (150.5), Comunidad de Madrid (162.5) and Illes Balears (181.2).
Galicia had the highest death rate due to diseases of the respiratory system (163.1), followed by Castilla y León (148.7) and Cantabria (144.8). Meanwhile, the lowest rates were in Illes Balears, Aragón and the autonomous city of Melilla (74.9, 77.9 and 79.3, respectively).
Compared with 2024, the largest increases in death rates due to tumours were recorded in Principado de Asturias (7.8%), Región de Murcia (4.9%) and the autonomous city of Ceuta (2.6%). The largest decreases were recorded in the autonomous city of Melilla (-7.7%), Cantabria (-5.3%) and La Rioja (-3.5%).
La Rioja (-7.6%), Illes Balears (-6.8%) and Región de Murcia (-5.3%) showed the largest decreases in death rates due to diseases of the circulatory system. The largest increases were observed in the autonomous cities of Melilla and Ceuta and in Canarias (26.4%, 4.7% and 2.8%, respectively).
Death rates from diseases of the respiratory system increased in all autonomous communities except Aragón (-8.2%), Principado de Asturias (-2.4%) and La Rioja (-0.9%). The largest increases were recorded in the autonomous city of Melilla (45.9%), País Vasco (25.9%), and Región de Murcia (18.7%).
Rates per 100,000 inhabitants and percentage change in rates (2025/2024)
The data for 2025 are provisional and will be disseminated as final in December 2026. All the results of this operation are available on INEBase.
The Death Statistics according to Cause of Death provides annual information on deaths occurring within the national territory according to the underlying cause, based on the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) of the World Health Organization (WHO). As of 1999, the 10th revision of this classification is used.
This is a harmonised European statistic which is supported by Commission Regulation (EU) No. 328/2011 of 5 April 2011 on statistics on causes of death.
The methodology followed by the INE in the Statistics of deaths by cause of death is based on the detailed analysis of the medical death certificates (CMD). The source of information for deaths with legal intervention is the Statistical Legal Death Bulletin completed by the courts or the information directly provided by the Institutes of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences (IMLCF). In both cases, the information is provided through a web application designed by the INE.
More information on the methodology and the standardised methodological report.
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