Basel-Stadt Mortality in May 2026 by Sex and Age Group
June 16, 2026In May 2026, Basel-Stadt recorded 145 deaths and a mortality rate of 68.9 per 100,000, which is notably lower than the historical average and near the record lows seen in 2020. Mortality rates were below average across all major demographic groups, including men, women, and those aged 65 and older.
In May 2026, the canton of Basel-Stadt recorded 145 deaths, with 66 men and 79 women. The overall mortality rate was 68.9 per 100,000 inhabitants. The age group most impacted was those aged 65 and older, with 56 deaths among men and 73 among women in that age group. The mortality rate for men aged 65 and older was 323.0 per 100,000, and for women in the same age group it was 317.4 per 100,000.
For historical context, the average total deaths for the month of May across all years since 2005 is 163.3, with an average mortality rate of 83.3 per 100,000. The current total of 145 deaths is notably lower than this long-term average. The current mortality rate of 68.9 per 100,000 is also significantly below the historical average of 83.3 per 100,000.
Comparing the current data to the historical record, the most striking observation is that the current mortality rate is near the minimum values ever recorded for the month of May. The minimum total mortality rate since 2005 was 62.4 per 100,000 in 2020, and the current rate of 68.9 is only slightly above that historic low. The total number of deaths in May 2026 is also well below the average of 163.3 and is closer to the minimum of 125 deaths recorded in 2020.
Examining specific demographic groups, the current figures for men are particularly low. The 66 deaths among men is below the historical average of 73.6, and the mortality rate for men of 64.3 per 100,000 is substantially lower than the average of 78.1. For women, the 79 deaths is also below the average of 89.7, and the mortality rate of 73.2 per 100,000 is lower than the average of 88.1. The mortality rate for men aged 65 and older, at 323.0 per 100,000, is well below the historical average of 387.8 for that group. Similarly, the mortality rate for women aged 65 and older, at 317.4 per 100,000, is below the average of 352.8. The data shows that mortality in May 2026 is broadly lower than the historical norm across all major demographic groups, with the overall rate approaching the record lows seen during the early pandemic year of 2020.
Table 1: May Mortality Rates by Year, Age and sex
| Year | Deaths Men | Deaths Men <65 | Deaths Men ≥65 | Deaths Women | Deaths Women <65 | Deaths Women ≥65 | Total Deaths | Mortality Men <65 per 100k | Mortality Men ≥65 per 100k | Mortality Men per 100k | Mortality Women <65 per 100k | Mortality Women ≥65 per 100k | Mortality Women per 100k | Mortality Total per 100k |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 88.0 | 25.0 | 63.0 | 97.0 | 9.0 | 88.0 | 185.0 | 33.4 | 432.7 | 98.5 | 12.0 | 365.5 | 97.8 | 98.2 |
| 2006 | 85.0 | 15.0 | 70.0 | 93.0 | 7.0 | 86.0 | 178.0 | 20.1 | 481.0 | 95.5 | 9.4 | 359.6 | 94.5 | 95.0 |
| 2007 | 80.0 | 17.0 | 63.0 | 97.0 | 10.0 | 87.0 | 177.0 | 22.8 | 429.7 | 89.8 | 13.4 | 365.6 | 98.7 | 94.5 |
| 2008 | 65.0 | 9.0 | 56.0 | 98.0 | 8.0 | 90.0 | 163.0 | 12.1 | 378.2 | 72.7 | 10.7 | 377.7 | 99.7 | 86.8 |
| 2009 | 78.0 | 13.0 | 65.0 | 88.0 | 13.0 | 75.0 | 166.0 | 17.3 | 435.5 | 86.4 | 17.3 | 315.3 | 88.9 | 87.7 |
| 2010 | 76.0 | 13.0 | 63.0 | 99.0 | 10.0 | 89.0 | 175.0 | 17.2 | 418.5 | 83.7 | 13.2 | 378.0 | 99.8 | 92.1 |
| 2011 | 73.0 | 14.0 | 59.0 | 91.0 | 9.0 | 82.0 | 164.0 | 18.5 | 390.2 | 80.2 | 11.8 | 350.3 | 91.6 | 86.2 |
| 2012 | 81.0 | 18.0 | 63.0 | 100.0 | 9.0 | 91.0 | 181.0 | 23.4 | 412.5 | 88.0 | 11.8 | 388.5 | 100.0 | 94.2 |
| 2013 | 77.0 | 12.0 | 65.0 | 76.0 | 7.0 | 69.0 | 153.0 | 15.5 | 422.9 | 83.0 | 9.1 | 294.9 | 75.5 | 79.1 |
| 2014 | 78.0 | 12.0 | 66.0 | 85.0 | 6.0 | 79.0 | 163.0 | 15.3 | 424.3 | 83.0 | 7.7 | 338.1 | 83.7 | 83.4 |
| 2015 | 76.0 | 11.0 | 65.0 | 92.0 | 10.0 | 82.0 | 168.0 | 14.0 | 413.5 | 80.4 | 12.7 | 352.6 | 90.2 | 85.5 |
| 2016 | 74.0 | 12.0 | 62.0 | 97.0 | 5.0 | 92.0 | 171.0 | 15.1 | 393.0 | 77.8 | 6.3 | 397.7 | 95.0 | 86.7 |
| 2017 | 52.0 | 7.0 | 45.0 | 96.0 | 7.0 | 89.0 | 148.0 | 8.8 | 284.1 | 54.4 | 8.8 | 386.4 | 93.5 | 74.7 |
| 2018 | 88.0 | 13.0 | 75.0 | 73.0 | 8.0 | 65.0 | 161.0 | 16.2 | 470.6 | 91.6 | 10.0 | 284.0 | 70.9 | 80.9 |
| 2019 | 77.0 | 13.0 | 64.0 | 112.0 | 7.0 | 105.0 | 189.0 | 16.1 | 399.2 | 79.5 | 8.7 | 460.3 | 108.3 | 94.4 |
| 2020 | 53.0 | 7.0 | 46.0 | 72.0 | 7.0 | 65.0 | 125.0 | 8.7 | 284.6 | 54.6 | 8.7 | 286.0 | 69.6 | 62.4 |
| 2021 | 69.0 | 10.0 | 59.0 | 85.0 | 3.0 | 82.0 | 154.0 | 12.2 | 364.2 | 70.5 | 3.7 | 362.8 | 81.7 | 76.2 |
| 2022 | 74.0 | 15.0 | 59.0 | 90.0 | 11.0 | 79.0 | 164.0 | 18.4 | 360.1 | 75.5 | 13.5 | 350.3 | 86.7 | 81.3 |
| 2023 | 63.0 | 13.0 | 50.0 | 81.0 | 9.0 | 72.0 | 144.0 | 15.7 | 301.8 | 63.5 | 10.9 | 318.3 | 76.9 | 70.4 |
| 2024 | 85.0 | 18.0 | 67.0 | 99.0 | 4.0 | 95.0 | 184.0 | 21.6 | 399.3 | 84.9 | 4.8 | 418.5 | 93.2 | 89.2 |
| 2025 | 61.0 | 8.0 | 53.0 | 74.0 | 7.0 | 67.0 | 135.0 | 9.5 | 311.9 | 60.4 | 8.4 | 294.2 | 69.5 | 65.1 |
| 2026 | 66.0 | 10.0 | 56.0 | 79.0 | 6.0 | 73.0 | 145.0 | 11.7 | 323.0 | 64.3 | 7.1 | 317.4 | 73.2 | 68.9 |
Table 2: May 2026 Mortality Rates vs. 2012–2025 Trends
| age_group | sex | deaths 2026 | Avg 2012 - 2025 | diff_abs | diff_pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-64 | F | 1.0 | 1.857 | -0.857 | -46.2 |
| 0-64 | M | 6.0 | 3.214 | 2.786 | 86.7 |
| 65+ | F | 21.0 | 21.786 | -0.786 | -3.6 |
| 65+ | M | 10.0 | 14.714 | -4.714 | -32.0 |
Figure 1: Average Monthly Mortality rate per 1000 inhabitants since 2012
Additional resources: bfs.admin.ch, Mortality, causes of death
🤖 This text was generated with the assistance of AI. All quantitative statements are derived directly from the dataset listed under Data Source.