Fewer deaths due to mild winter

Fewer people died in the first quarter of this year than average. This is due in part to the mild weather, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). In the first months of this year, 35,000 people passed away. On average at this time of year, 40,000 people die. Next to the warmer winter, another cause for this increased winter survival rate is the lighter flu epidemic, the CBS states. Flu epidemics in 2012 and 2013 were more intense due to the colder winters, meaning that they led to more deaths. The decrease in the number of casualties is especially visible among the elderly. There were 14 percent fewer deaths among people aged 80 and over than in the first quarter of last year.