Recorded deaths by cause and age (FOI)

Request

Please could you provide statistics of deaths for 2019 and 2020 by month, broken down by:

• cause of death

• age

In addition, for any covid-19 related deaths listed, please provide a breakdown on whether covid-19 was listed as a primary, secondary or tertiary cause of death.

Please also provide a separate breakdown of age for any Covid-19 related deaths.

Response

The Statistics Unit will be releasing the Mortality Data for 2019 within the next month and the 2020 report will be released in the summer of this year.

In relation to the 2019 data, Article 36 of the Freedom of Information Law has been applied (Information intended for future publication).

In relation to the 2020 data, the estimated cost of supplying the information now would exceed the specified amount, as determined in the manner prescribed by Regulations. Article 16(1) has therefore been applied.

In relation to the Covid-19 related deaths please see the tables at the links below:

Covid-19 deaths by age as of 4 Feb 2021

Covid-19 registered causes of death as of 4 Feb 2021

Causes of death are presented as a narrative of the person’s state of health at the point of their death so as to provide comprehensive details of the conditions that lead to their death as follows (with examples):

1a The disease or condition that lead to the death (eg Respiratory Failure)

1b Antecedent causes (eg Pneumonia)

1c Morbid conditions giving rise to the above causes (eg COVID-19)

2. Other significant conditions contributing to the death but not related to the condition or disease causing it

Articles applied

Article 16 - Access to information held by a scheduled public Authority

A scheduled public authority may refuse to supply information if cost excessive

(1) A scheduled public authority that has been requested to supply information may refuse to supply the information if it estimates that the cost of doing so would exceed an amount determined in the manner prescribed by Regulations.[4]

Article 36 - Information intended for future publication

(1) Information is qualified exempt information if, at the time when the request for the information is made, the information is being held by a public authority with a view to its being published within 12 weeks of the date of the request.

(2) A scheduled public authority that refuses an application for information on this ground must make reasonable efforts to inform the applicant –

(a) of the date when the information will be published;

(b) of the manner in which it will be published; and

(c) by whom it will be published.

(3) In this Article, “published” means published –

(a) by a public authority; or

(b) by any other person.