Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
In April 2023, the death rate in the EU increased compared to the previous month and was +2.7% above the baseline (average number of deaths for the same period in 2016-2019).
  This increase was more noticeable than in March 2023, when the death rate was just above the baseline of +0.6%.
In March and April 2023, the death rate returned to levels consistent with the rest of the COVID-19 pandemic period.
  This follows an exceptionally low death rate in February 2023, when there was no increase in deaths for the first time since the start of the pandemic - the indicator fell to -1.5%.
In context, the death rate was 12.0% in April 2022, 20.9% in April 2021, and 25.2% in April 2020.
Besides the high numbers recorded in April 2020 and 2021, there were figures in November 2020 (+40.0%) and November 2021 (+26.6%).
This information came from data on excess deaths published by Eurostat, the European statistical office, based on the collection of weekly mortality data.
In April 2023, 17 countries in the European Union recorded excess deaths. Of these, Austria (13.2%), Finland (12.4%), Luxembourg (12.3%) and Ireland (12.2%) had the highest excess mortality rates.
Among the countries that did not notice an increase in deaths, Romania (-12.2%), Bulgaria (-8.7%) and Lithuania (-7.7%) had the lowest rates.