Mortality statistics in Northern Ireland: past uses and future possibilities

Abstract

The compulsory registration of births and deaths was established throughout most European countries during the 19th century. Enabling legislation was introduced for Ireland in 1863 with the first registration report produced in 1864. Mortality data are derived from the medical certification of cause of death issued by the medical practitioner together with information given to the registrar by the informant. These data fulfil the primary role of legal documentation and secondly provide a source of vital statistics on the population. For the last century such data have formed the cornerstone of our understanding of the health status of the population and of the health needs of society, but now at the start of the 21st century it is perhaps opportune to look at their current utility and possible value in future years. The legal requirement for registration remains unchanged but the question that this paper addresses is `in an aging society, where the exact cause of death is more difficult to discern - what is the future for mortality statistics??