Winter deaths in Scotland down 10% from 30-year high – report

The number of deaths during the winter months in Scotland fell 10% last year, according to the latest official figures.

A National Records of Scotland (NRS) report showed 21,983 deaths were registered in the four months from December 2023 to March.

In the same period the year before there were 24,427 deaths – the highest for more than 30 years.

Despite the decline last year, the NRS said the number of winter deaths over the past decade had been “generally increasing”.

The NRS report calculates a figure for additional winter deaths by looking at the four months before and after the December to March period.

It said the seasonal increase in mortality last winter (1,796) was much lower than the year before (4,137).

The report said older age groups were consistently most affected by the seasonal increase in mortality in winter.

For people aged 85 and older there were 11% more deaths compared to the months before and after winter, while the 65-and-under age group saw a 7% increase.

The report said winter deaths were more common among females, who have a greater life expectancy than males.

The cause of death with the largest seasonal increase was dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, accounting for 380 additional deaths.

Statistics showed 720 of the additional deaths in winter 2023/24 were linked to respiratory system diseases, including 370 from influenza and pneumonia.

Meanwhile, another 380 deaths related to diseases of the circulatory system, with 180 caused by coronary heart disease, 140 from cerebrovascular disease and 60 from other circulatory system diseases.

The report said very few deaths were directly due to cold weather, such as hypothermia.

In each year since 2019 there have been fewer than 10 deaths from “exposure to excessive natural cold”, it said.