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High Level Summary of Statistics: Population and Migration

Deaths

Deaths in Scotland
Last updated: August 2011

The number of deaths registered in Scotland in 2010 was 53,967. This was 111 (0.2%) more than in 2009, but was still the second lowest total recorded since the introduction of civil registration in 1855 (the 53,856 in 2009 being the lowest figure; previously, the 55,093 in 2006 had been the lowest figure).

In 2010, more than half of all deaths were due to the so-called "three big killers":

• cancer - 15,323 deaths, or 28% of all deaths;
• ischaemic (coronary) heart disease - 8,138 deaths, or 15%; and
• cerebrovascular disease (stroke) - 4,764 deaths, or 9%.

The types of cancer with the largest numbers of deaths included cancers of the trachea, bronchus and lung (4,055 deaths), bowel cancer (1,528 deaths), cancers of the lymphoid, haematopoietic and related tissue (1,075 deaths), breast cancer (1,032 deaths), prostate cancer (849 deaths) and cancers of the oesophagus (811 deaths).

The percentage of deaths accounted for by the so-called "three big killers" was 65% in 1981 and 1991, falling through 61% in 1996 and 59% in 2001 to 55% in 2006 and 52% in 2010. The proportion of deaths caused by ischaemic heart disease fell from 29% in 1981 to 15% in 2010, and that due to cerebrovascular disease declined from 14% to 9%, whereas the proportion caused by cancer rose from 22% to 28%.

Other common causes of deaths registered in 2010 included:

• respiratory system diseases (e.g. pneumonia) - 6,896 deaths, or 13% ;
• circulatory system diseases other than ischaemic heart disease and cerebrovascular disease (e.g. aortic aneurysm, atrial fibrillation and flutter, and hypertensive disease) - 3,615 deaths or 7%;
• mental and behavioural disorders (e.g. due to alcohol or drugs) - 3,459 deaths, or 6%;
• digestive system diseases (e.g. chronic liver disease) - 3,108 deaths, or 6%;
• nervous system diseases (e.g. Alzheimer's disease) - 1,759 deaths, or 3%;
• genitourinary system diseases (e.g. renal failure) - 1,337 deaths, or 2%;
• accidents (e.g. falls, transport accidents) - 1,295 deaths, or 2%;
• endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (e.g. diabetes) - 1,004 deaths, or 2%
• probable suicides (intentional self-harm plus events of undetermined intent) - 781 deaths, or 1% and
• certain infectious and parasitic diseases (e.g. septicaemia) - 751 deaths, or 1%.

There were 218 deaths of infants (children aged under 1) in 2010.

Causes of death in Scotland

Source: National Records of Scotland (NRS) Registration data

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