THE mortality rate for Scots in the most deprived areas is almost twice as high as it is for those in the most affluent communities – with the coronavirus pandemic appearing to have increased the gap, a report has found.
The National Records of Scotland (NRS) noted that in the most-deprived areas of Scotland the overall death rate was 1.9 times higher than in the least-deprived.
Rates for drug-related deaths were 18.4 times higher in the poorest areas, when compared with the least-deprived communities, the Scotland’s Population 2020 report revealed.
READ MORE: Kevin McKenna: Shameful stats show something is seriously wrong in Scotland
Meanwhile, the rate of alcohol-specific death was 4.3 times higher, the rate of deaths by suicide were three times greater and Covid-19 death rates were 2.4 times higher in the most deprived areas. The report highlighted the “huge gap in healthy life expectancy for people in the most and least deprived areas”.
Currently, men in the poorest parts of Scotland have a healthy life expectancy – the number of years they can expect to live in good health – of just 47 years, compared with 72.1 years for men in the least deprived areas.
Women in the richest areas can expect to enjoy more than 21 years more of good health than their counterparts in most deprived areas, where the healthy life expectancy is 50.1 years, compared to 71.6 years for the most affluent communities.
“Mortality rates are normally higher in more deprived areas,” the report said, adding that “Covid-19 appears to be increasing this effect”. It stated: “The general mortality rate in the most deprived areas is almost twice the rate in the least deprived areas. However, the mortality rate for Covid-19 in the most deprived areas is around 2.4 times as high. This figure was 2.1 in the early stages of the pandemic. This means the gap in mortality rates between the most and least deprived areas has increased as the pandemic has progressed.”
The report added that “many of the risk factors for Covid-19 are more common in more deprived areas, such as diabetes, obesity and lung disease”.
Pete Whitehouse, director of statistical services at NRS, said: “Our report on Scotland’s population in 2020 shows that the death rate from all causes in the most deprived areas of Scotland is nearly double the death rate of people in our least deprived areas. The difference in death rates is higher for drug-related deaths, alcohol-specific deaths, suicides, and Covid-19.”
He added: “People in more deprived areas can also expect far fewer years in good health.”
Looking specifically at the impact of coronavirus, the report stated that the first wave of the pandemic, between late March and August 2020, saw 4200 deaths linked to the virus, with 77% of these in people aged 75 or more.
The second wave “lasted longer and saw more deaths”, it added, with 5900 people dying between September 2020 and May 2021.
Earlier in the pandemic, care homes saw a larger proportion of all deaths, with almost half of all deaths in care homes in the first wave, and a similar number in hospital. But in the second wave about seven out of 10 deaths occurred in hospitals, with about two in 10 in care homes.
Overall the report said about 72 in 100 Covid-19 deaths have been among older Scots aged 75 years or older, with people under 45 representing only about one in 100 deaths.
Julie Ramsay, head of vital events at NRS, said: “Since the first registered Covid-19 death in March 2020, NRS has reported on more than 10,500 such deaths. The pandemic has had a devastating impact on the lives of people across Scotland but it is clear this impact has varied over time and across the country.
“We know that there have been two clear waves so far. Also, death rates in our most deprived communities were 2.4 times as high as those in our least deprived communities. This is a higher gap than the general mortality rate.”
During the period April to July last year drug deaths were said to be “significantly higher” than they had been for the same period in the past five years.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here