INJURIES (V01-Y98)
Injuries due to External causes of death (V01-Y98), relate to cases where the underlying cause of death is determined to be one of a group of causes external to the body (for example suicide, transport accidents, falls, poisoning etc).
In 2009, injuries accounted for 8,884 deaths, or 6.3% of all registered deaths. The standardised death rate for injuries was 38.6 per 100,000 of population in 2009, a decrease from 42.5 per 100,000 population in 2000. The standardised death rate for males in 2009 was 55.1 per 100,000 and 23.2 per 100,000 for females.
Over time, more men than women have died from external causes, and at younger ages. Consistent with previous years, approximately two-thirds of the total number of deaths resulting from external causes were males (5,886, or 66.2%). Median age at death for deaths due to injuries registered in 2009 was 47.4 years for males, 66.7 years for females and 51.8 years overall. The potential life lost through deaths due to injuries was 173,191 years for males and 58,998 years for females.
Transport accidents (V01-V99, Y85) accounted for 1,501 deaths, 16.9% of all deaths due to injuries. Of these, 1,102 (73.4%) were males and the remaining 399 (26.6%) were females. Transport accidents presented a younger profile in comparison to all deaths due to injuries, with a median age at death of 38.3 years for males, 41.1 years for females and 38.9 years overall. Potential life lost from deaths due to transport accidents was 40,995 years for males and 14,237 years for females.
There were 2,132 deaths due to Intentional self-harm (suicide, (X60-X84, Y87.0)) in 2009, which accounted for 24.0% of all deaths due to injuries. Of these deaths, 1,633 (76.6%) were males and 499 (23.4%) were females. The median age at death for intentional self-harm was 43.4 years for males, 44.9 years for females and 43.8 years overall. Potential life lost from deaths due to intentional self-harm was 55,351 years for males and 16,774 years for females.
Care should be taken in interpreting numbers of suicide death. For further information, see Explanatory Notes 80-83.
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