Mortality in Portugal in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic - Weeks 1 to 35

Summary

Between March 2nd, when the first cases of COVID-19 were diagnosed in Portugal, and August 30th, there were 57,971 deaths in the national territory, an increase of 6,312 deaths in 2020 when compared to the average number of deaths during the same period over the past five years. 1,822 of these deaths were due to COVID-19.
The increase in deaths, registered from March 2020, peaked at week 15 (between April 6th and 12th), gradually decreasing until the end of the State of Emergency period (May 3rd). At the end of May, there was a new peak in mortality, reaching the values observed in previous years during weeks 24 and 25 (8th to 21st of June). Excess mortality compared to the average for the same period reached the maximum in week 29 (July 13th to 19th), with an additional number of deaths of around 800 deaths.
Of the total deaths recorded between March 2nd and August 30th, 28,400 were of men and 29,391 were of women, an increase of 2,597 and 3,715 deaths, respectively, compared to the average of deaths observed in the same period between 2015-2019.
More than 70% of deaths were of people aged 75 years or over. Compared to the average number of deaths observed in the same period from 2015-2019, another 5,518 people died aged 75 and over, of which 4,371 were aged 85 and over.
The largest increase in the number of deaths in relation to the 2015-2019 average was registered in the region Norte, with the exception of the last week of June and the first of July, when this increase was higher in the Área Metropolitana de Lisboa.
Although the highest proportion of deaths has always occurred in hospital, the proportion of deaths at private homes and other locations was, from March 2nd onwards, above the 2015-2019 average, reaching in week 12 (March 16th to 23rd) 46.1% of the total number of deaths in that week.

Despite the circumstances determined by the COVID-19 pandemic, Statistics Portugal asks for the best collaboration from companies, families and public entities in responding to Statistics Portugal's requests. The quality of official statistics, particularly its ability to identify the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, depends crucially on this collaboration that Statistics Portugal thanks in advance.