Death rate

What are the trends?

1. Death rate has halved in the last century → 23/1000 in 1840 to 10/1000 today

Death rate has increased since 2010

What are the three major reasons?

1. Economic growth and improved living standards

2. Medical advances

3. Social policies

Economic growth

P: Globally, when the country is richer then the life expectancy increases and the death rate decreases.

E: Everybody has a higher income and so more money will go to taxes. This allows more money for public health services.

E: NHS will provide free healthcare for everybody and each person can access more food and nutrition.

L:

E: Obesity is now becoming a serious problem

Medical advances

P: Healthcare has become accessible to everyone within society through the NHS and there have been massive advances in medicine.

E: Mass immunisation has limited the spread of infectious diseases such as measles and medical advances have been important in improving survival rates from ‘diseases of affluence’ → heart diseases and cancers

L:

E: This has only been significant in reducing death rates since 1950s

Social policies

P: Institutions are set up by the government and there are regulations.

E: NHS, health and safety

X largely taken for granted