What do Ingrid Bergman, Maria Félix, Milton Glaser or Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente have in common? A sad coincidence: they all died on their birthday. And this circumstance is not at all exceptional: a study carried out in France, which reviews the 17 million deaths that occurred in the country in the 30 years from 1994 to 2023, indicates that this is the day of the year with the highest probability of dying: 6% more than any other day of the year.
He study French, published by its National Institute of Statistics (Insee), points out that the increase in deaths is even greater among young people and adults under 50 years of age: according to Insee it increases by 15% in people between 2 and 17 years of age, a 21% from 18 to 29 years old, 21% from 30 to 39 years old, and 13% from 40 to 49 years old.
The risk of death skyrockets among young men: those between the ages of 18 and 39 have an excess mortality of 24% that day. And also among centenarians: for those over 100 years old, the probability of dying that day is 29% higher.
“On special days, like the anniversary or the end of the year, there is an unconscious part that weighs on us. Sometimes it seems to us that it only happens to us, but that feeling of sadness, of the end of a cycle, other times of excitement, is very universal,” says Núria Casanovas, president of the Social Council of the Official College of Psychology of Catalonia ( COPC).
What the data says
The probability of dying in an accident on your birthday is 12% higher
Accidental deaths more likely on birthday, data shows
Insee confirms the results of a study carried out in Switzerland, which analyzed the 2.4 million deaths that occurred in the country between 1969 and 2008 and detected that the risk of death that day increased by 13.8%. In the opinion of Swiss researchers, there is a “reaction to the birthday” that they call “Birthday blues”: deaths from heart attacks and strokes increase, as well as from accidents (28.5%) and especially from falls, which increase by 44%. .
Stress can be the cause of an increase in heart attacks and strokes, especially in older people, as well as excess food and alcohol consumption during celebrations. According to Casanovas, “there is increasing social pressure on that day, to celebrate it in a big way, sometimes with activities that are no longer appropriate to our situation.”
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Thus, data from France show an increase in deaths at home (12%), linked to accidents and even more on public roads (14%), due to the travel involved in celebrations, which in young people usually entails alcohol consumption and often lead to traffic accidents. In accidents, the study points out, birthdays also have an anticipatory effect, with an increase in falls in men the days before.
Birthday Blues
More stress, heavy eating (and drinking), risk factors
Alcohol consumption at celebrations is another risk factor
“Throughout the year we are not very aware of our exact age, it is something that we do not usually think about,” says Laura Fuster, from the Psychologists for Valencia office. “On our birthday we become aware that time passes and we must take advantage of it. And that feeling of urgency, of needing to live in the moment, can lead us to perform behaviors that we would not do on other days.”
According to Insee, that day also produces a positive psychological effect: very sick people set themselves the challenge of reaching their birthday, but after that day they “let themselves go.” Casanovas, an expert in palliative care teams, corroborates that “the excitement of that symbolic day, as of waiting for the arrival of a family member, gives energy and strength. It is very noticeable in people who want to reach the age of 100, for example.” Swiss researchers also highlighted an “unexpected” increase in cancer deaths that day. One of the famous cases is that of the actress Ingrid Bergman, who died on her 67th birthday after a long fight with cancer.
Psychological effect
The challenge of making it to your birthday alive after a long illness
Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman
This phenomenon, the power of an illusion to delay death, has also been proven in other countries. Thus, in New York City in the first week of the 21st century, mortality was 50.8% higher than that of the previous year, 1999, an effect that was attributed to the desire of the sick to see the beginning of the new millennium.
The same effect, but for fiscal reasons, occurred in Australia, in 1979, when the government decided to abolish the inheritance tax as of July 1: a study carried out by economists Joshua Gans and Andrew Leighu found a significant increase in taxes. deaths after that date, because some people, although very sick, were able to postpone their death for a few days to avoid the tax.
On the day of the anniversary, feelings of sadness and frustration increase
Another cause of the increase in deaths is suicide: in Switzerland that day they increased by 34.9% (but only among men), while a similar study in Japan that analyzed deaths over 40 years of people without previous illnesses detected a 50% increase in suicides on that symbolic date.
“That day we feel the weight of memories of past birthdays, and we see how things have changed over time, or we remember more about a person who is gone. It is also a favorable day to evaluate events that have not happened, goals such as living independently, getting married or having children, so you may feel frustrated, melancholic or sad,” says Fuster.
Casanovas points out that the melancholy of that day can be used positively and “vehicular it as an element of transformation, to reconnect with our inner child and enjoy again. To analyze what affects our mood, and try to correct it, for example, by moving more to be better with our older body.” In his opinion, “above all, you have to be aware that this sadness is normal and momentary and in a few days you will recover.”
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