SCOTLAND'S death rate was 6.2% higher than the five-year average in the first quarter of this year, according to analysis.
National Records of Scotland (NRS) said the age-standardised mortality rate for January to March 2023 was 1359 per 100,000 population.
NRS said the age-standardised rate takes into account the growing and ageing population and “is therefore the best indicator of the direction of the mortality trend”.
Provisional figures show there were 18,522 deaths in the first quarter of 2023, 12.5% higher than the average of 16,468, however, NRS said this figure does not take into account the growing and aging population.
Julie Ramsay, head of demographic statistics at NRS, said: “There were increases across a range of different causes of death.
“Deaths from respiratory diseases were almost 23% higher than the five-year average. Within this group, flu accounted for more than a third of the excess deaths.
“Deaths from cancer were 6.4% higher and those from coronary heart disease and dementias were both around 12% higher.”
The number of deaths from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease was 11.5% higher than the five-year average.
Covid-19 was the underlying cause of 546 deaths during the first quarter of this year and there were no deaths where the underlying cause was adverse effects of a Covid-19 vaccine.
NRS said that the coronavirus pandemic had contributed to higher than average rates in recent years and these higher rates continue, with the four most recent quarterly rates all being above the average.
Meanwhile, the number of births fell 6.3% compared to the five-year average.
There were 11,655 births registered in Scotland between January 1 and March 31 2023, which was below the quarter one average of 12,440.
Marriages have returned to pre-pandemic levels, with 3073 marriages in the first three months of 2023, which was 0.4% higher than average.
There were 122 same-sex marriages, compared with a five-year average of 118.
Since June 2021, mixed-sex couples have been able to form a civil partnership.
Of the 128 civil partnerships registered in the first quarter of 2023, 108 involved mixed sex couples.
There were 20 same-sex civil partnerships, compared with a five-year average of 14.
Comparisons are usually made by comparing the current year to the average of the previous five years which would have been the 2018-2022 average.
However, NRS said that as the 2020 figures were severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, comparing 2023 figure to the 2018-2022 average would not give a true reflection of how the latest quarter’s figures compare to the average.
Comparisons have therefore been made against the average of the five years 2017-2019 plus 2021-2022.
