32. Demographic indicators: measures of mortality

• Crude death rate – annual number of deaths per 1000 people
  • Highest in sub-Saharan Africa, Middle East (15 – 20)
  • Lowest in Western countries (1 – 10)
  • Average in the world: 7
• Infant mortality rate – annual number of deaths of children < 1 year per 1000 live births
  • Highest in sub-Saharan Africa, Middle East (80 – 100)
  • Lowest in Western countries (0 – 10)
• Maternal mortality rate – annual number of deaths from puerperal causes per 100 000 live births
  • Highest in sub-Saharan Africa, Middle east (200 – 500)
  • Lowest in Western countries (0 – 15)
• Life expectancy at birth – the number of years an individual could expect to live
  • Highest in Japan, Western Countries (77+)
  • Lowest in sub-Saharan Africa, Middle East (45 – 60)
• Age-specific death rate – annual number of deaths in an age group divided by number of persons in that age group
• Cause-specific death rate – annual number of deaths of a specific cause divided by the size of the population
• Top causes of death in 1900
  • Pneumonia
  • Tuberculosis
  • Diarrhoea
• Top causes of death nowadays
  • Heart disease
  • Cancer
  • Cerebrovascular disease
• Top causes of death in developed countries
  • Heart disease
  • Cancer
  • Cerebrovascular disease
• Top causes of death in developing countries
  • HIV/AIDS
  • Pneumonia
  • Heart disease
• In developed regions 77% of deaths are due to non-communicable diseases, only 14% are due to communicable diseases
• In developing regions 55% of deaths are due to communicable diseases, only 37% are due to non-communicable diseases