Long-Term Monitoring of Health Inequalities

An annual report which summarises the long-term differences in health trends between the least and most deprived areas of Scotland.


Premature Mortality - from all causes, aged under 75 years

Summary

  • Inequalities are stable in absolute terms but are widening in relative terms

Between 1997 and 2009, deaths amongst those aged under 75 years have decreased by 24.9%. Despite these decreases, around 21,200 people aged under 75 still die each year. Deaths in this age group are more common in deprived areas than in areas of low deprivation. In 2009, under 75 deaths amongst those living in the most deprived decile were 3.7 times more likely than those living in the least deprived decile. Recent reductions in premature mortality have been observed across the population. Whilst inequalities have been stable in absolute terms (as demonstrated by the absolute range), improvements observed in deprived areas have not been as great as those observed elsewhere in Scotland resulting in a widening of inequalities in relative terms (as demonstrated by the overall increase in RII).

Inequalities gradient in the most recent year available

All cause mortality amongst those aged <75y by Income-Employment Index: Scotland 2009

Relative Index of Inequality ( RII) over time

Relative Index of Inequality (RII): All cause mortality <75y - Scotland 1997-2009

Absolute range over time

Absolute range: All cause mortality <75y - Scotland 1997-2009

Scale / context

Number of deaths Target population size Rate per 100,000 ( EASR)
1997 26,081 4,740,269 485.5
1998 25,857 4,729,975 479.8
1999 25,491 4,721,298 471.6
2000 24,593 4,708,667 454.1
2001 24,168 4,703,661 446.2
2002 24,219 4,690,508 443.8
2003 23,789 4,690,603 431.4
2004 22,896 4,706,922 411.6
2005 22,441 4,718,403 401.0
2006 22,237 4,734,676 395.8
2007 1 22,359 4,755,963 393.4
2008 1 22,005 4,775,321 382.8
2009 21,229 4,816,465 364.8

1. The 2007 and 2008 data has been revised since the publication of the October 2010 report.

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