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This dictionary is intended to help you understand some of the statistical terms and phrases used on our website. If there is any phrases are not explained in this guide, which you would like to see included or if you have any suggestions to improve the guide please contact statistics customer services using our contact form.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A division of the lifespan into socially relevant units of time, generally containing stages relating to birth and the early years, childhood, transition to adulthood, young adulthood, middle age, retirement, and the old age. The precise number of life cycle changes and their age ranges reflect prevailing social attitudes and are defined appropriately for the context of the analysis.
The average age that a person is expected to live to. As derived from a period life table, it assumes that a person experiences the age-specific mortality rates of a given period from a given age onwards.
For example, life expectancy at birth refers to the average age a newborn baby may expect to live to, assuming they experience the age-specific mortality rates of a given period throughout their life. Life expectancy can also be calculated in terms of the remaining years people of a certain age in a particular year are expected to live. It represents the average longevity of the whole population and does not necessarily reflect the longevity of an individual.
See also Mortality.
A tabular numerical representation of mortality and survivorship of a cohort of births at each age of life. It comprises an array of measures, including probabilities of death, probabilities of survival, and life expectancies at various ages.
Current, period or cross-sectional life tables are based on current mortality rates. These tables assume that as a cohort passes through life it experiences a given pattern of age-specific mortality rates which do not change from year to year. Although usually based on death rates from a real population during a particular period of time, these tables are a hypothetical model of mortality as they do not describe the real mortality that characterises a cohort as it ages.
A complete life table presents life table functions for each single year of age, while an abridged life table presents life table functions for age groups.
A group of high density postcodes within a settlement. These are used to sub-divide large settlements into more manageable areas.
A person who moved their home address during a particular period of time. In the Census a migrant was someone who had lived at a different address one year earlier.
The movement of people from one area to another. In calculating population estimates for Scottish areas, three types of migration are taken into account: migration between areas within Scotland, migration between Scotland and the rest of the UK, and migration between Scotland and overseas.
Death, expressed either in terms of the number of people dying or as a proportion of a specified population dying in a specified period.
The National Health Service Central Register (NHSCR) contains basic details of everyone born in Scotland, plus anyone else who is (or has been) on the list of a general medical practitioner in Scotland. It also provides Scottish local authorities with a unique reference number which is used to identify people on the database of local authority customers.
The difference between the number of live births and the number of deaths. When births exceed deaths there is a natural increase. When deaths exceed births there is a natural decrease.
Neonatal deaths refer to deaths within the first four weeks of life.
The difference between arrivals into and departures from a region or country. Net permanent and long-term migration contributes to the population change (along with natural change).
Occasional papers are produced by the General Register Office for Scotland to raise awareness of what we do and to disseminate background information and analysis of statistics to a range of external audiences.
These Census statistics show the flows between two different areas of migrants or people travelling to a place of work/study (e.g people living in Midlothian who travelled to work or study in City of Edinburgh).
Perinatal deaths are stillbirths and deaths in the first week of life.
Permanent and Long Term Migration
This comprises permanent and long-term arrivals and permanent and long-term departures. The former are people who have either spent the last 12 months or more overseas, or arrive in Scotland for an intended stay of 12 months or more (or permanently). Permanent and long-term departures are people who depart from Scotland for an intended absence of of 12 months or more (or permanently).
The average number of people per square-kilometre (or hectare) in a given area. For example, the estimated density of Scotland on 30 June 2006 was 66 people per square kilometre.
Estimate of the number of people resident in an area at a perticular time. Population estimates (and population projections) are key inputs to policy analysis and service planning. For details of issues and methodology, see our Population Estimates page.
The prevailing fertility, mortality, and migration patterns combine to determine the level of population growth. Population growth is calculated by adding natural change (number of births less the number of deaths) and net external migration (inflows minus outflows).
Estimate of the future size and other demographic characteristics of a population, based on an assessment of past trends and assumptions about the future course of demographic behaviour (fertility, mortality, and net migration).
They are plausible scenarios, not forecasts or predictions.
For details of issues and methodology see our Population Projections page.
A population pyramid is a graphical illustration that shows the distribution of various age groups in a particular population which normally forms the shape of a pyramid. It typically consists of two back-to-back bar graphs, with the population plotted on the x-axis and age on the y-axis, one showing the number of males and one showing females in five-year age groups (also called cohorts). Males are conventionally shown on the left and females on the right, and they may be measured by raw number or as a percentage of the total population. An example of a population pyramid can be seen below.
A great deal of information about the population broken down by age and sex can be read from a population pyramid, and this can shed light on the development and other aspects of the population. A population pyramid also tells the local authorities how many people of each age range live in the area. There tend to be more females than males in the older age groups, due to females’ life expectancy.
Postneonatal deaths are deaths after the first four weeks of life, but before the end of the first year.
Annual Preliminary Return of Vital Events
This is an annual publication each March, giving provisional vital events figures for the previous calendar year. Final figures are published at the time of the Registrar General's Annual Report.
Prevalence measures the total number of cases of a condition (e.g disease or disability) in a population. The prevalence rate refers to the total number of cases divided by the subject population.
Page last updated: 10 October 2008
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