Death rates at their lowest ever, according to figures from the Office of National Statistics
Last updated 7/26/2010 3:02:10 PM
Death rates at their lowest ever says the Office of National Statistics
Latest figures show that death rates in England and Wales are at their lowest-ever level, falling about five per cent in 2009.
According to the Office of National Statistics there were under half a million deaths registered - the last time the figure fell this low was in the mid-1950s. Then the population was 10m smaller.
Between 1999 and 2009, death rates fell by more than a quarter for men and over a fifth for women. The figures are the lowest since records began in 1841. And here's some more good news. Deaths from heart disease and cancer have fallen sharply.
Over the decade, mortality from heart disease fell by 40% for both men and women. Cancer deaths have fallen since 1999, by 15% for men and 12% for women.
Infant mortality has also fallen to its lowest-ever rate, with a rate of under 5 per 1,000 births. This compares with more than 150 per thousand a century ago. Good news... so let's make the most of all this extra living and make the most of every day.