Last updated: 5 November 2024.
Highlights
This subchapter on fertility and mortality is 1 of 9 thematic subchapters that provide a comprehensive glossary of variable definitions used within city statistics. The glossary is designed to ensure a clear understanding and interpretation of data disseminated by Eurostat, thereby improving the clarity of data requirements for the providers of these statistics in national statistical offices, while supporting the standardisation of statistical concepts across Europe.
This subchapter forms part of Eurostat’s City statistics manual.
Fertility
Regulation (EU) No 1260/2013 on European demographic statistics establishes a common legal framework for the development, production and dissemination of European statistics on population and vital events. Vital events refer to significant life events that affect the size and structure of a population; these statistics are crucial for demographic analyses and provide essential data for policymaking in areas such as health planning or economic development.
A ’live birth’ means the birth of a child who breathes or shows any other evidence of life, such as beating of the heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord or definite movement of voluntary muscles, regardless of gestational age.
A ‘death’ means the permanent disappearance of all evidence of life at any time after live birth has taken place (post-natal cessation of vital functions without capability of resuscitation).
The number of live births (SA2007V) is a count of live births each year; it excludes foetal deaths. The number of live births is irrespective of the marital status of the mother at the time of giving birth (in wedlock, out-of-wedlock, in or out of a legal union). The count of live births for a particular reference year should include all live-born children, irrespective of whether they are alive or dead at the reference date, and irrespective of whether they are living with the mother at the reference date. In the case of multiple births (twins, triplets and so on), each live-born child should be counted separately.
The number of adolescent births (SA2010V) is a count of the number of live births to adolescent mothers (aged less than 20) during the reference year.
Mortality
Infant mortality (SA2004V) is a count of the number of deaths of children under 1 year of age. This statistic is often used to derive the infant mortality rate, which is defined as the ratio of the number of deaths of children under 1 year of age to the number of live births in the reference year (expressed per 1 000 live births).
Statistics on causes of death are based on information derived from medical death certificates. Causes of death are classified according to the international classification of diseases and related health problems 10th Revision (ICD-10). The number of deaths of people under 65 due to diseases of the circulatory or respiratory systems (SA2013V) is a count of deaths in the reference year. Specifically, diseases of the circulatory system are classified in Chapter 11 of ICD-10 and diseases of the respiratory system are classified in Chapter 12. The number of deaths (SA2016V–SA2021V), disaggregated by age (all deaths and deaths of people under 65) and sex (deaths of males and females) is a count of deaths during the reference year. Information is collected for
- the number of deaths of people under 65 (SA2016V)
- the number of deaths of people under 65, males (SA2017V)
- the number of deaths of people under 65, females (SA2018V)
- the number of deaths (SA2019V)
- the number of deaths, males (SA2020V)
- the number of deaths, females (SA2021V).
Legislation in force and other documents
Intentional homicide
The number of murders and violent deaths (SA3005V) is a count of the number of intentional homicides, defined according to EU guidelines for the international classification of crime for statistical purposes – ICCS; 2017 edition; Eurostat and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. This statistic refers to the unlawful death of a person deliberately caused by another individual. Data for intentional homicides should also encompass cases of serious assault leading to death, as well as deaths resulting from terrorist attacks. However, the following are excluded from the definition
- attempted homicide
- manslaughter
- deaths resulting from legal intervention
- justifiable homicide in self-defence
- deaths due to armed conflict
- deaths caused by dangerous driving
- abortion
- assisted suicide
The preferred data source for this variable is police/law enforcement records. If alternative sources are used, such as statistics on causes of death, classified according to ICD-10, this should be clearly indicated in the metadata.
Legislation in force and other documents
- EU guidelines for the International Classification of Crime for Statistical Purposes – ICCS; 2017 edition Eurostat and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
- Crime and criminal justice statistics – Methodological guide for users – 2024 edition
Source data for tables and graphs
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Database
- City statistics (urb), see:
- Cities and greater cities (urb_cgc)
- Functional urban areas (urb_luz)
- Perception survey results (urb_percep)