IMPROVING LIVES THROUGH DATA ECOSYSTEMS
Key findings: P0309.3 - Mortality and causes of death in South Africa: Findings from death notification, 2008
This statistical release provided information on mortality and causes of death for deaths that occurred in 2008 as well as information on death occurrences from 1997 to 2007 to provide recent trends in mortality. The release was based on data on deaths collected through the civil registration system in South Africa, maintained by the Department of Home Affairs. The information on mortality and causes of death can be used to assess the well-being and health status of a population with the aim of preventing or reducing premature mortality and improving the quality of life.
The results in this release show that 592 073 deaths occurred in South Africa in 2008 and that mortality continues to decrease in the country since 2007. The number of deaths decreased by 1,6% between 2006 and 2007 and by 1,8% between 2007 and 2008. The distribution of deaths by sex showed that the number of deaths declined for both males and females, with the decline much higher among females (2,2%) than among males (1,5%).
This decrease was also observed in the number of deaths recorded in the national population register during the same years. Crude death rates derived from deaths adjusted for incompleteness also show a modest decline over time for both males and females. Again, the median ages show an increasing trend for both males and females since 2005. Further, sex ratios of deaths at younger adult ages indicate that although female mortality increased in the early 2000s, it somewhat stabilised around 2005 and commenced a modest decline.
Information on causes of death showed that the majority of deaths were due to natural causes, mainly from the main group of certain infectious and parasitic diseases, responsible for about a quarter (26,4%) of all deaths. The number of both natural and non-natural causes decreased between 2007 and 2008, with non-natural deaths decreasing at a higher rate than natural causes (2,6% for non-natural causes and 1,7% for natural causes).
Tuberculosis continued to be the leading cause of death in South Africa, accounting for about 13% of deaths in the country. This cause has been the leading cause of death in the country since 1997. Influenza and pneumonia was the second leading cause, followed by intestinal infectious diseases, other forms of heart disease and cerebrovascular diseases. Differences by provinces show that tuberculosis was the leading cause of death in all provinces, with the exception of Free State and Limpopo where influenza and pneumonia was the leading cause of death.
The majority of non-natural causes of death were due to other external causes of accidental injury, accounting for nearly two-thirds of all non-natural deaths. The highest proportion of deaths due to non-natural causes was observed among those aged 15
The results in this release show that 592 073 deaths occurred in South Africa in 2008 and that mortality continues to decrease in the country since 2007. The number of deaths decreased by 1,6% between 2006 and 2007 and by 1,8% between 2007 and 2008. The distribution of deaths by sex showed that the number of deaths declined for both males and females, with the decline much higher among females (2,2%) than among males (1,5%).
This decrease was also observed in the number of deaths recorded in the national population register during the same years. Crude death rates derived from deaths adjusted for incompleteness also show a modest decline over time for both males and females. Again, the median ages show an increasing trend for both males and females since 2005. Further, sex ratios of deaths at younger adult ages indicate that although female mortality increased in the early 2000s, it somewhat stabilised around 2005 and commenced a modest decline.
Information on causes of death showed that the majority of deaths were due to natural causes, mainly from the main group of certain infectious and parasitic diseases, responsible for about a quarter (26,4%) of all deaths. The number of both natural and non-natural causes decreased between 2007 and 2008, with non-natural deaths decreasing at a higher rate than natural causes (2,6% for non-natural causes and 1,7% for natural causes).
Tuberculosis continued to be the leading cause of death in South Africa, accounting for about 13% of deaths in the country. This cause has been the leading cause of death in the country since 1997. Influenza and pneumonia was the second leading cause, followed by intestinal infectious diseases, other forms of heart disease and cerebrovascular diseases. Differences by provinces show that tuberculosis was the leading cause of death in all provinces, with the exception of Free State and Limpopo where influenza and pneumonia was the leading cause of death.
The majority of non-natural causes of death were due to other external causes of accidental injury, accounting for nearly two-thirds of all non-natural deaths. The highest proportion of deaths due to non-natural causes was observed among those aged 15