Mortality and causes of death in South Africa: findings from death notification, 2016

The Mortality and causes of death in South Africa: findings from death notification, 2016 "statistical release forms part of a regular series of publications by Stats SA on mortality and causes of death. The information used is obtained continuously from the South African civil registration system. The aim of this publication is two-fold:  To present statistics on registered deaths by selected socio-demographic and geographic characteristics for deaths that occurred in 2016; and to outline trends in mortality over a 20-year period (1997–2016); and  To provide information on the causes of death for deaths that occurred in 2016, based mainly on the underlying cause of death.

All death notifications from DHA for deaths that occurred over the years 1997 to 2016 and reached Stats SA in time for the 2016/2017 processing phase have been used to produce this statistical release. Although the primary focus is on deaths that occurred in 2016, deaths for earlier years (1997−2015) are also included to show trends in mortality and causes of death using information that has been updated for late registrations or delayed transfer of forms. Stillbirths which are also collected through the South African civil registrations system are not included in this publication as they are published separately in the annual Stats SA statistical release on ‘Perinatal deaths in South Africa’ (P0309.4). Appendix A (see page 57) provides the definitions of technical terms used in this report. However, Stats SA plans to include perinatal deaths in the 2018 Mortality and Causes of Death report as well as in subsequent reports."