Deaths: introduction

Scotland has one of the highest rates of mortality in Western Europe (a phenomenon obviously mirrored by the country’s comparatively low levels of life expectancy), and although rates for the whole population have steadily decreased in recent years, deaths among young men in Scotland – boosted by suicide,  alcohol, drugs and violence – have been rising. Considerable variations/inequalities in mortality rates and trends are also evident in Scotland across different geographical and socio-economic groupings.

In terms of policy context, mortality rates are of course ultimately relevant to the entire health improvement strategy of government (although life expectancy, and indeed healthy life expectancy, are arguably more useful indicators than simple mortality in this respect). More specifically, a number of cause-specific mortality targets have been established within national policy e.g. targets for reductions in deaths from cancer and coronary heart disease in the 1999 White Paper Towards A Healthier Scotland, and also more recently as part of the Closing the Opportunity Gap strategy; related to the latter, these targets are also included, alongside reductions in suicides in young people, within the Scottish Executive's 2005 - 2008 spending review targets.

Note that the main source of deaths data in Scotland is the General Register Office for Scotland.