Deaths: key data sources

The National Records of Scotland is the main source of mortality statistics in Scotland. Its vital events pages contain a wide variety of mortality tables including statistics back to 1851, cause-specific mortality (including drug-related deaths), stillbirths and infant deaths data. Mortality figures are broken by gender, different administrative geographies, as well as other factors (e.g. country of birth).

Note also that some mortality and mortality-related data (e.g. 3-year average age and sex standardised all-cause death rates, life expectancy, alcohol and drugs related deaths) are included within the Community Health and Wellbeing Profiles

Mortality data for other parts of the UK can be accessed through the deaths pages of the National Statistics (ONS) website.

Sources of international mortality data are included within the international data sources page of the website.