Key Points

Latest Official Documents

• Electronic certification is mandatory for all deaths occurring in healthcare facilities as of June 1, 2022 (see Decree of February 28, 2022)

• Under certain conditions, a state-certified nurse may issue death certificates (see Article 56 of Law No. 2025-199 of February 28, 2025)

• As of January 1, 2025, the neonatal certificate has been replaced by the infant certificate, which is to be used for deaths occurring up to 364 days of life (see Order of May 29, 2024)

Status as of 2024

• The number of town halls connected to the system is growing: 323 municipalities in the region as of early April 2025, 50 more than at the end of 2023.

• By the end of 2024, 43% of deaths were certified electronically in Hauts-de-France, compared to 49% nationally; the region ranks 9th out of 18 (regions + overseas departments and regions).

• The rate of deaths certified electronically in 2024 varied significantly across departments: 56% in the Somme, 46% in the Nord, 37% in the Oise, 35% in the Pas-de-Calais, and 34% in the Aisne.

• The system’s coverage rate remains higher in healthcare facilities, reaching 72% in the private sector in the fourth quarter of 2024 and 63% in the public sector, whereas it is only 27% in nursing homes.

Use of Data

Electronic certification data can be used for surveillance:

• to measure the impact of epidemics such as COVID-19 or the flu

• to identify unusual trends in certain causes of death