Deaths: key points

  • There were 63,445 deaths registered in Scotland in 2023. This is 504 (0.8%) more than in 2022.
  • Rates of mortality in 2023 were higher than rates in 2013. This stalling of improvement in mortality trends in Scotland over the last decade are due to the wider impacts of COVID-19 and recent adverse mortality trends.
  • Scotland continues to have the highest mortality rate of all the UK countries and one of the highest rates of mortality in Western Europe.
  • There are geographical variations in mortality, evident at NHS board and council area level.
  • Deprivation level has a strong association with all-cause mortality. The death rate for the most deprived quintile (fifth) of the population is just under twice that of the least deprived quintile.
  • Leading causes of death in Scotland (for people of all ages) are those due to heart disease, cerebrovascular diseases, lung cancer, and Dementia.
  • Leading causes of death in people under 75 years are those due to heart disease, lung cancer, accidents, and chronic lower respiratory disease.

Section updates:

  • The last major update of this section was completed in December 2024.
  • The next major update is due to be carried out by end December 2025.