Diabetes mellitus 3. EU 15 and EMU figures added. Some alterations to Austrian 1995 data. Minor alterations only to 1994 data for breakdown by gender andage. NO changes to data on Causes of death.
Mortality rates have to be interpreted carefully.
They are simultaneously expanded by the increase in the number of old people and diminished by longer life expectancy. The result is that lower mortality rates have been recorded in some countries where health conditions are less advanced, since the population in these countries has a younger age structure and therefore a lower mortality rate. Any study of mortality rates must take into account age and gender. Between the ages of 20 and 25 years the probability of death curves reach a relative peak because of the high number of road deaths in this age group. This disparity can be explained partly by the different starting points.