More than a quarter of all deaths were avoidable in 2019, according to data from National Records of Scotland.
In 2019 there were 58,108 registered deaths in Scotland, of which 15,519 were considered avoidable - a number that remains more or less consistent with the percentages recorded as avoidable for the previous 7 years.
Avoidable mortality is a measure of deaths from causes for which all or most deaths are considered avoidable, through timely and effective healthcare and public health interventions.
Figures show the avoidable mortality rate has decreased by 33 per cent since 2001, although this has hardly changed since 2014.
And after adjusting for age, avoidably mortality rates among men showed to be 58 per cent higher than those among women.
The most common causes of avoidable mortality in 2019 was cancer and circulatory diseases, which accounted for 34 per cent and 25 per cent of all avoidable deaths respectively.
Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Lanarkshire and Ayrshire and Arran had the highest rates of avoidable mortality in 2017-2019 with the lowest rates seen in Shetland and Borders Health Board areas.
At local authority level, the highest rates were recorded in Glasgow City, Dundee City and Inverclyde whilst the lowest rates were in East Renfrewshire, East Dunbartonshire and Shetland.
After adjusting for age, avoidable mortality rates in the most deprived areas were 4.5 times more than those in the least deprived areas.
Pete Whitehouse, Director of Statistical Services said “The avoidable mortality rate has decreased by a third since 2001 however there has been very little change over the last 5 years.
"It is also true that whilst avoidable mortality rates have improved across Scotland since 2001, the scale of improvement has been smaller in our more deprived communities.”
You can read National Record Scotland's full report here.
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