Vital Statistics
The Vital Statistics (VS) include
data about births, deaths and marriages. In the UK, the registration process
dates back to 1538 whereby every parish was required to keep a record of christenings,
marriages and burials.
Our focus here is on data about the
demographic events of births and deaths. Computerised VS data have been available
on an annual basis since the early 1980s but the demographic detail in each
table varies through time. During the 2000s gradually more detail became available,
but from 2002 tables are somewhat restricted due to concerns about small cell
counts and confidentiality.
The broad descriptions
of the tables should apply in all years. All VS data are of high quality
and completeness due to the legal requirement for births and deaths to be registered.
Advancements in geographic referencing over the last decade have determined
that a small minority of births and deaths may have been allocated to administrative
areas adjacent to the correct area of residence. For more information on this
issue see the PDF document ONS
(2002).
Latest data
|
