Dødeligheden

Dødeligheden, meaning “the mortality” in Danish and Norwegian, refers to the rate at which deaths occur in a population. It is a key demographic indicator used to assess the overall health of a population and to guide public policy. Mortality can be quantified in several ways: the crude death rate (CDR), which is the number of deaths per 1,000 people per year; age-specific mortality rates, which measure deaths within particular age groups; and age-standardised mortality rates, which adjust for differences in age structure across populations to enable comparisons. Life expectancy and life tables are related concepts that summarize the expected remaining years of life for individuals at a given age.

Common determinants include age structure, income, education, access to medical care, lifestyle factors, environmental conditions, and the prevalence of diseases. Mortality patterns vary by sex, geography, and time, reflecting different risk exposures and health systems. Trends over the last century show substantial declines in mortality in many regions, driven by vaccination, antibiotics, sanitation, nutrition, and chronic disease management, while aging populations and rising rates of non-communicable diseases influence current patterns.

In policy terms, mortality data inform decisions on health services, prevention programs, and social planning. Limitations include data quality, differences in death registration, and the dependence of crude rates on population age structure; thus age-standardisation and reliable cause-of-death statistics are essential for meaningful comparisons. Dødeligheden is a fundamental metric in demography and public health in Nordic contexts and beyond.