Wales
Infant deaths
Key points
- During the 1990s, a gap appears to have opened up in the rate of infant deaths between children born to parents with a non-manual social background and ones born to parents from a manual social background.
- The rate of infant deaths is lowest in Monmouthshire and Merthyr Tydfil.
- The rate of infant deaths in Wales is somewhat lower than in most other regions in the UK.
- The link between infant mortality and disadvantage can also be seen at the area level. Over the years 1998-2001, the infant mortality rate in the most deprived fifth of areas in Wales was 60% higher than in the most affluent fifth of areas. Deprivation and Health, National Public Health Service for Wales, 2004.
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 thousand 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.
The data is based on a 10% sample of live births using year of occurrence. Cases where the social class of the father is unknown have been excluded from the analysis. The data is up to 2001 only because the definitions of social class were changed in 2002 and the data by social class from 2002 onwards is not considered to be reliable for Wales.
The data source for the first graph is ONS DH3 childhood, infant and perinatal mortality statistics.
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 Wales 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.
Overall adequacy of the indicator: medium. The value is lessoned because the data by social class only goes up to the year 2001.