Netherlands mortality still above average, showing improvement

In the 18th week of this year, from April 27 to May 3, a total of 3,299 people died in the Netherlands. That is still 5 percent above average for the first 10 weeks of the year, but also almost 600 fewer than in week 17 when 3,881 people died, Statistics Netherlands reported on Tuesday.

Under normal circumstances, the number of deaths in the Netherlands would decline during this time of year due to the end of winter. In the past three years, about 2,750 people died per week in the period around week 18 of the year. 

In the first 10 weeks of this year, up until March 8, an average of 3,134 people died in the Netherlands per week. That increased to a peak of 5,078 in week 14. The sudden increase in mortality coincided with the start of the coronavirus crisis in the Netherlands.