Scotland
Infant deaths
Key points
- Children born to parents with manual backgrounds are around twice as likely to die in their first year of life as those born to parents from non-manual backgrounds. This has been the case throughout the last decade.
- The authorities with the highest proportion of infant deaths are Clackmannanshire and West Dunbartonshire.
- The rate of infant deaths in Scotland is similar to the UK average.
Graph 1: Over time
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Graph 2: By LA
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Graph 3: Compared to UK
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Definitions and data sources
The first graph shows the annual number of infant deaths per 1,000 live births, with the data shown separately according to the social class of the father. Infant deaths are deaths which occur at ages under one year. Up to the year 2000, the social classes used are the traditional ones, ranging from I to V. From 2001, Scotland has adopted the new ONS social class classifications.
The data source for the first graph is the General Registrar Office and the data is based on a 100% sample of live births. Cases where the social class of the father is unknown have been excluded from the analysis.
The second graph shows how the rate number of infant deaths per thousand live births varies by local authority.
The third graph shows how the number of infant deaths per thousand live births in Scotland compares with the rest of the UK.
The data source for second and third graphs and map is the ONS publication Key population and vital statistics. To improve its statistical reliability, the data in the second graph is the average for the nine years to 2006 and the data in the third graph is the average for the three years to 2006. Note that the data for the Shetland Islands is not considered to be reliable and is therefore not included.
Overall adequacy of the indicator: medium. The number of live births that are not coded is relatively few but the change in social class definition makes the time trends harder to interpret.