Top stories

Annual Report of the
Registrar General 2023
Annual RG

A consultation was carried out between May and June 2023 on the content of the tables that accompany the Annual Report of the Registrar General. Historically there have been over 100 tables that accompany the report as well as additional separate annual tables on each of the vital event areas (births, deaths, marriages etc.). The purpose of the consultation was to identify the tables that should be considered essential and to consolidate all annual tables into one source. A document responding to issues raised during the consultations is available on the vital statistics user engagement (opens in new tab) area of the NISRA website.


The next edition of the Annual Report of the Registrar General is planned for release at the end of October. This edition will comprise the report as a reviewed and revised set of tables. Vital Statistics Unit will produce an accompanying document giving details of any changes to previous tables

ICD-10 Death Coding for
Northern Ireland is
changing
ICD11

Coding for cause of death in Northern Ireland is carried out according to the Health Organisation’s (WHO) International Classification of Diseases, tenth revision (ICD –10). This classification allows the systematic recording, analysis, interpretation and international comparison of mortality data.

The latest version of the ICD, ICD-11 (opens in new tab), was adopted by the 72nd World Health Assembly in 2019 and came into effect on 1 January 2022. NISRA, along with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) will be implementing ICD-11 into its mortality statistics over the next three to four years, in keeping with the WHO’s estimated transition period. This move allows for mortality statistics in Northern Ireland to continue to be internationally comparable, follows international best practice, addresses gaps in the current ICD-10 and incorporates medical updates, discoveries and changes in thinking.

The Vital Statistics Team in NISRA will be implementing this change and will be posting updates periodically on the NISRA website, within the Vital Statistics Newsletter and directly with users.

If you would like to be kept informed about this change or have any questions or concerns please get in touch by e-mailing NISRA.

Excess Deaths
Excess Deaths

A UK working group was set up in early 2023 to look at the current method of calculating excess deaths. The current method is relatively easy to understand but doesn’t account for a number of factors that put excess deaths into context, such as:

  • the size of the population - deaths presented as a number do give an indication of population size. However, a rate gives a clearer steer as to the level of mortality, making comparisons across countries easier;
  • the age structure of the population – age is the biggest factor in predicting mortality so the age structure of the population should be taken into consideration when comparing deaths and excess deaths across different countries, or even different regions;
  • trends in mortality – the current method can be skewed by years of high and/or low mortality.

The findings from the working group looking at excess deaths mortality and recommended new UK-wide methodology are planned for release in late 2023. The new methodology will subsequently be implemented in the NISRA weekly deaths tables by the end of 2023.

Other announcements

User engagement

VSU have published a summary of findings of the 2022/23 user survey in the User Engagement (link opens in new tab) area of the website.

The 2023/24 customer survey opened on 1 April 2023 and will run until 31 March 2024. If you would like to provide feedback, you can do so by following the link.

Vital Statistics User Survery 2023/24 (Opens in new tab)

All feedback is welcome throughout the year.

The consultation that ran in early summer on the tables that accompany the Annual Report of the Registrar General gave some valuable feedback. A document summarising comments and responses to them has also been published on the User Engagement (opens in new tab) area of the website.

If you would like to be added to the Vital Statics mailing list then please let us know at NISRA.

Contact us

NISRA is keen to receive your feedback to enable us to develop further.
- Is this something you find useful?
- Are there alternative or additional indicators you would like to see included?

Please e-mail comments to NISRA.

NISRA Vital Statistics,
Colby House,
Stranmillis Court,
Belfast
BT9 5RR
E-mail:
Telephone: +44 (0)300 200 7836

NISRA website

 

Vital Stats Logo NISRA Logo