Circulatory diseases account for more than half of deaths in all regions of Romania

Diseases of the circulatory system accounted for at least 53% of deaths in each of Romania’s eight regions in 2023, according to regional data published by Eurostat. Sud-Vest Oltenia recorded the highest share in Romania, at 63.8%, while the European Union average was 32.5%.

In brief

All eight NUTS 2 regions of Romania had shares of at least 53% of deaths caused by diseases of the circulatory system in 2023.

Sud-Vest Oltenia reached 63.8%, one of the highest regional values in the European Union.

Across the EU, circulatory diseases caused approximately 1.6 million deaths and accounted for 32.5% of the total.

Romania separately had a standardized mortality rate from circulatory diseases of 787 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, compared with 313 at EU level.

The share of deaths and the standardized mortality rate are different indicators and should not be interpreted as the same measure.

Romania ranks alongside Bulgaria among the countries where circulatory diseases account for the largest share of regional mortality. Of the 244 NUTS 2 regions analyzed by Eurostat, 25 had shares of at least 50% in 2023. All six regions of Bulgaria and all eight regions of Romania are in this group. The highest values in the EU were recorded in the Bulgarian regions of Yuzhen tsentralen, at 67.3%, and Yugoiztochen, at 66.4%, followed closely by the high values observed in several Romanian regions. European Commission

In Romania, Eurostat highlights Sud-Vest Oltenia, where diseases of the circulatory system accounted for 63.8% of deaths. In each of the other seven Romanian regions, the share remained at least 53%. The data thus show that, regardless of the economic and demographic differences between regions, cardiovascular diseases and the other conditions included in the category of diseases of the circulatory system have a much greater weight in the mortality structure than the European average.

The statistical category includes, among others, ischaemic heart disease, hypertensive diseases and cerebrovascular diseases. Across the European Union, approximately 1.6 million people died in 2023 from diseases of the circulatory system. These accounted for 32.5% of deaths, making them one of the main causes of mortality in Europe. European Commission

The difference between Romania and the EU average is also visible when another indicator is used: the standardized mortality rate. Eurostat calculated 787 deaths from diseases of the circulatory system per 100,000 inhabitants in Romania in 2023, the second-highest rate among EU countries after Bulgaria, where the level was 923. The European average was 313 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, while Latvia, at 726, had the third-highest value. At the opposite end, France recorded 163, Spain 200, and Denmark 208. European Commission

The standardized rate does not simply represent the actual number of deaths relative to a region’s population. The indicator adjusts the data to a standard age structure, so that countries and regions with younger or older populations can be compared more fairly. Eurostat emphasizes that standardization allows mortality differences to be measured independently of the age structure of the population. European Commission

This rate should not be confused either with the 63.8% share reported for Sud-Vest Oltenia or with the threshold of at least 53% applicable to all Romanian regions. The share shows how important a particular cause is within a region’s overall mortality, while the standardized rate shows the frequency of deaths relative to a standard population. A region may have a very high share for a cause of death without the two indicators having the same value or the same statistical significance.

Regional data also show that standardized mortality from diseases of the circulatory system was higher among men than women in every region of the European Union. Romania’s Sud-Est region is among the European regions with one of the largest differences between the male and female rates. European Commission

Differences between the sexes also appear at European level. In 2023, diseases of the circulatory system caused approximately 742,900 deaths among men and 846,400 among women. The higher absolute number among women is influenced, among other factors, by the population structure and by the fact that women have, on average, a longer life expectancy. After age standardization, however, the mortality rate was higher for men in all EU regions. European Commission

Eurostat classifies these causes of death according to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, ICD-10. Regional data are reported by region of residence and harmonized to allow comparisons between countries and regions, although differences between national systems for recording and certifying causes of death must be taken into account when interpreting the results.

The regional publication uses data for 2023, the latest year available in the dataset analyzed. The Eurostat database for standardized rates at regional level covers the period 2011–2023 and was updated in June 2026. European Commission

https://2eu.brussels/ro/news/bolile-circulatorii-reprezinta-peste-jumatate-dintre-decese-in-toate-regiunile-romaniei