4.5.3

Death Rates

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The Death Rate, Infant Mortality Rate and Life Expectancy

The death rate, infant mortality rate and life expectancy have all improved since 1900 in the UK.

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The death rate

  • The death rate is defined as the number of deaths per 1,000 of the population each year.
  • The death rate declined from 16 per 1,000 in 1902 to 8.7 per 1,000 in 2014.
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The infant mortality rate

  • The infant mortality rate fell from around 138 per 1,000 lives birth in 1902 to around 4 per 1,000 in 2014.
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Life expectancy

  • Average life expectancy rose from 48.5 years (men) and 52.4 years (women) in 1901 to 79 years (men) and 83 years (women) in 2012-2014.

Explaining the Fall in Death Rates

There are a multitude of reasons that explain the fall in death and infant mortality rates and the rise in life expectancy, including changes to educational and technological advancements and legal provisioning.

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Hygiene

  • Improvement in hygiene and sanitation, such as:
    • Sewer systems.
    • Clean running water.
  • A greater understanding of the causes of infection has helped to eradicate many life-threatening diseases.
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Medicine

  • Advances in medicine and science, such as vaccines, penicillin and other antibiotics, as well as advances in surgery and medical technology, has meant the people are less likely to die from disease and infection or due to ailments such as heart disease.
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Living standards

  • Higher living standards and better nutrition such as improved diets and higher quality housing have improved both health and life expectancy.
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Welfare state

  • Public health and welfare, such as food industry regulation, the National Health Service and the welfare state, have ensured that the food we eat is safe, that the whole UK population has access to healthcare and that those who cannot support themselves and their families are given help.
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Health education

  • Improved health education means that people are now more aware of how to stay healthy and understand the types of life-style that can be life-shortening.
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Working conditions

  • Improved working conditions, such as higher standards of health and safety at work, shorter working hours and more leisure time have led life-threatening occupations (e.g. coal mining) being less dangerous.

Jump to other topics

1Theory & Methods

2Education with Methods in Context

3Option 1: Culture & Identity

4Option 1: Families & Households

5Option 1: Health

6Option 1: Work, Poverty & Welfare

7Option 2: Beliefs in Society

8Option 2: Global Development

9Option 2: The Media

10Crime & Deviance

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