Eurostat reports record low viral hepatitis deaths in 2023

Eurostat reported on Tuesday that viral hepatitis caused 3,172 deaths across the European Union in 2023, marking the lowest figure since record-keeping began in 2011. This represents a 9.3% decrease compared to 2022 and a 53.7% decline since 2013, when 6,856 deaths were recorded.

In Cyprus, the standardized mortality rate was 0.21 deaths per 100,000 people, significantly lower than the EU average of 0.64. Italy recorded the highest mortality rate at 1.62 per 100,000, followed by Latvia at 1.54 and Austria at 1.02. Conversely, Luxembourg reported zero deaths, while Finland and Slovenia maintained the lowest rates at 0.07 and 0.13 respectively. Data analysis shows the disease disproportionately affected men, who accounted for 58.3% of total fatalities.

The findings highlight that viral hepatitis impacts both the elderly and the working-age population. Notably, individuals under the age of 65 represented 35.7% of hepatitis-related deaths, a higher proportion compared to the 14.8% share this age group accounts for in total deaths from all causes. The regional data further indicates that fifteen areas across Italy and France recorded mortality rates of at least 1.5 per 100,000 residents, illustrating varying regional burdens of the disease across Europe.