add cart choropleth column cross cube error file folder geo help home lock obs poi rdf remove search slice spreadsheet success table unlock warning

[this is a data cube dataset] A data cube dataset in folders : Population, National Records of Scotland

Life Expectancy

Life expectancy in years, at birth and for age groups

View as a spreadsheet
Dimensions
Dimension
Value
Age
  1. 0 years
  2. 1-4 years
  3. 5-9 years
  4. 10-14 years
  5. 15-19 years
  6. 20-24 years
  7. 25-29 years
  8. 30-34 years
  9. 35-39 years
  10. 40-44 years
  11. 45-49 years
  12. 50-54 years
  13. 55-59 years
  14. 60-64 years
  15. 65-69 years
  16. 70-74 years
  17. 75-79 years
  18. 80-84 years
  19. 85-89 years
  20. 90 years
Measure Type
  1. 95% Lower Confidence Limit
  2. 95% Upper Confidence Limit
  3. Count
Reference Period
  1. 1991-1993
  2. 1992-1994
  3. 1993-1995
  4. 1994-1996
  5. 1995-1997
  6. 1996-1998
  7. 1997-1999
  8. 1998-2000
  9. 1999-2001
  10. 2000-2002
  11. 2001-2003
  12. 2002-2004
  13. 2003-2005
  14. 2004-2006
  15. 2005-2007
  16. 2006-2008
  17. 2007-2009
  18. 2008-2010
  19. 2009-2011
  20. 2010-2012
  21. 2011-2013
  22. 2012-2014
  23. 2013-2015
  24. 2014-2016
  25. 2015-2017
  26. 2016-2018
  27. 2017-2019
  28. 2018-2020
  29. 2019-2021
  30. 2020-2022
  31. 2021-2023
Sex
  1. Female
  2. Male
Simd Quintiles
  1. 1 - most deprived
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5 - least deprived
  6. All
Urban Rural Classification
  1. Accessible rural
  2. Accessible small towns
  3. All
  4. Large urban areas
  5. Other urban areas
  6. Remote rural
  7. Remote small towns
Reference Area
(showing types of area available in these data)
  1. Countries
  2. Council Areas
  3. Scottish Parliamentary Constituencies
  4. Health Board Areas
Download
Entire dataset
Note: These may be large files. 		CSVN-Triples
About the Dataset
Contact
Publisher
Scottish Government
Creator
Scottish Government
In folders
License
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/
Issued
23/03/2018
Modified
28/04/2025
Next update due
October 2025
Description

Life expectancy in years, at birth and for age groups. Breakdowns are also given for deprivation (SIMD) and Urban Rural classification.

Life expectancy refers to the number of years that a person could expect to survive if the current mortality rates for each age group, sex and geographic area remain constant throughout their life. This is referred to as ‘period life expectancy’ and does not usually reflect the actual number of years that a person will survive. This is because it does not take into account changes in health care and other social factors that may occur through someone’s lifetime. However, life expectancy is a useful statistic as it provides a snapshot of the health of a population and allows the identification of inequalities between populations.

Further details are available on the NRS website

We are aware of issues with the full csv download for this dataset. For a copy of the full dataset please contact us at statistics.opendata@gov.scot.

Details
Confidentiality Policy

This dataset does not contain any sensitive or personal information.
Quality Management

These data are quality assured by a statistician who was not involved in the publication. The council level data were also compared against those produced by ONS.

The United Kingdom Statistics Authority (UKSA) has designated these statistics as National Statistics, in line with the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 and signifying compliance with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics (available on the UKSA website). National Statistics status means that official statistics meet the highest standards of trustworthiness, quality and public value.
Accuracy and Reliability

Life expectancy at birth is an estimate which is subject to a margin of error. The accuracy of the results can be indicated by calculating a confidence interval within which the true underlying life expectancy would be expected to lie.

The National Records of Scotland (NRS) have published research papers assessing the quality of the administrative data sources that are used in the production of mid-year population estimates.
Coherence and Comparability

Time-series comparisons are currently appropriate at the council level.

Urban Rural and SIMD Classifications change over time. Comparisons are suitable when the life expectancy estimate uses the same version of the classification as it will refer to the same areas. These figures use Small Area Population Estimates based on Census 2011 as the rebased estimates using Census 2022 data are not yet available, so a copy of the 2022 estimates have been used instead. This will likely affect the accuracy of the current data, so caution is advised when using these numbers. These figures will be updated to use SAPEs 2023 in the next update.

Breakdowns by SIMD and UR for 2020-2022 are missing due to the decision at the time to publish a summary report with no geographical breakdowns. The intention is that these will be made available with the update to the back series using rebased SAPEs.

There are differences between complete life tables (calculated for single year of age) and abridged life tables (calculated for grouped ages). The Scotland level figures presented in this publication are calculated using abridged life tables to allow for comparison with the subnational figures. The definitive life expectancy estimates for Scotland are published in the national life tables on [the NRS website](Time-series comparisons are currently appropriate at the council level.

Further information can be found in Life Expectancy for Areas in Scotland, 2014-2016 publication on the NRS website.
Accessibility and Clarity

Life expectancy data, reports and supplementary material is available on the NRS website
Relevance

Used in monitoring and investigating health inequality issues within Scotland, setting public health targets, informing pensions policy, research and teaching.
Timeliness and Punctuality

The estimates are based on the mortality probabilities indicated by the death records for the three years prior to the date of publication. For example, the 2021-2023 estimates were published in October 2024.

This dataset will be updated annually
Revisions

Figures for the period from 2009-2011 to 2020-2022 were revised to take account of the rebased mid-year population estimates for 2011-2021 published in 2024 in light of the 2022 Census results.
URI

This is a linked data resource: it has a permanent unique uri at which both humans and machines can find it on the Internet, and which can be used an identifier in queries on our SPARQL endpoint.

http://statistics.gov.scot/data/Life-Expectancy
Dimensions Linked Data

A linked data-orientated view of dimensions and values

Dimension Locked Value
Age
http://statistics.gov.scot/def/dimension/age
 (not locked to a value)
Reference Area
http://purl.org/linked-data/sdmx/2009/dimension#refArea
 (not locked to a value)
Reference Period
http://purl.org/linked-data/sdmx/2009/dimension#refPeriod
 (not locked to a value)
Simd Quintiles
http://statistics.gov.scot/def/dimension/simdQuintiles
 (not locked to a value)
Sex
http://statistics.gov.scot/def/dimension/sex
 (not locked to a value)
Urban Rural Classification
http://statistics.gov.scot/def/dimension/urbanRuralClassification
 (not locked to a value)
Measure Type
http://purl.org/linked-data/cube#measureType
 (not locked to a value)
Graphs

Linked Data is stored in graphs. We keep dataset contents (the data) separately from the metadata, to make it easier for you to find exactly what you need.

The data in this dataset are stored in the graph: http://statistics.gov.scot/graph/Life-Expectancy

The data structure definition for this data cube dataset is stored in the same graph as the data: http://statistics.gov.scot/graph/Life-Expectancy

All other metadata about this dataset are stored in the graph: http://statistics.gov.scot/graph/Life-Expectancy/metadata

Linked Data Resources

A breakdown by type of the 200,655 resources in this dataset's data graph.

Resource type Number of resources
Collection 2
Component specification 11
Data set 1
Data structure definition 1
Observation 200,640
All metadata
In Graph http://statistics.gov.scot/graph/Life-Expectancy/metadata
Accessibility and Clarity http://statistics.gov.scot/def/statistical-quality/accessibility-and-clarity
Life expectancy data, reports and supplementary material is available on [the NRS website](https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/publications/life-expectancy-in-scotland-2021-2023) xsd:string
Accuracy and Reliability http://statistics.gov.scot/def/statistical-quality/accuracy-and-reliability
Life expectancy at birth is an estimate which is subject to a margin of error. The accuracy of the results can be indicated by calculating a confidence interval within which the true underlying life expectancy would be expected to lie. The National Records of Scotland (NRS) have published research papers assessing the quality of the administrative data sources that are used in the production of mid-year population estimates. xsd:string
Comment rdfs:comment http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#comment
Life expectancy in years, at birth and for age groups xsd:string
Comparability and Coherence http://statistics.gov.scot/def/statistical-quality/comparability-and-coherence
Time-series comparisons are currently appropriate at the council level. Urban Rural and SIMD Classifications change over time. Comparisons are suitable when the life expectancy estimate uses the same version of the classification as it will refer to the same areas. These figures use Small Area Population Estimates based on Census 2011 as the rebased estimates using Census 2022 data are not yet available, so a copy of the 2022 estimates have been used instead. This will likely affect the accuracy of the current data, so caution is advised when using these numbers. These figures will be updated to use SAPEs 2023 in the next update. Breakdowns by SIMD and UR for 2020-2022 are missing due to the decision at the time to publish a summary report with no geographical breakdowns. The intention is that these will be made available with the update to the back series using rebased SAPEs. There are differences between complete life tables (calculated for single year of age) and abridged life tables (calculated for grouped ages). The Scotland level figures presented in this publication are calculated using abridged life tables to allow for comparison with the subnational figures. The definitive life expectancy estimates for Scotland are published in the national life tables on [the NRS website](Time-series comparisons are currently appropriate at the council level. Further information can be found in Life Expectancy for Areas in Scotland, 2014-2016 publication on [the NRS website](https://webarchive.nrscotland.gov.uk/20241128123006/https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/statistics/statistics-by-theme/life-expectancy). xsd:string
Confidentiality http://statistics.gov.scot/def/statistical-quality/confidentiality
This dataset does not contain any sensitive or personal information. xsd:string
Contact email http://publishmydata.com/def/dataset#contactEmail
mailto:statisticscustomerservices@nrscotland.gov.uk
Creator dcterms:creator http://purl.org/dc/terms/creator
Scottish Government http://statistics.gov.scot/id/organisation/scottish-government
Date Issued dcterms:issued http://purl.org/dc/terms/issued
March 23, 2018 16:46 xsd:dateTime
Date Modified dcterms:modified http://purl.org/dc/terms/modified
April 28, 2025 14:25 xsd:dateTime
Description dcterms:description http://purl.org/dc/terms/description
Life expectancy in years, at birth and for age groups. Breakdowns are also given for deprivation (SIMD) and Urban Rural classification. Life expectancy refers to the number of years that a person could expect to survive if the current mortality rates for each age group, sex and geographic area remain constant throughout their life. This is referred to as ‘period life expectancy’ and does not usually reflect the actual number of years that a person will survive. This is because it does not take into account changes in health care and other social factors that may occur through someone’s lifetime. However, life expectancy is a useful statistic as it provides a snapshot of the health of a population and allows the identification of inequalities between populations. Further details are available on the [NRS website](https://webarchive.nrscotland.gov.uk/20241128122348/https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/statistics/statistics-by-theme/life-expectancy/life-expectancy-at-scotland-level) We are aware of issues with the full csv download for this dataset. For a copy of the full dataset please contact us at [statistics.opendata@gov.scot](mailto:statistics.opendata@gov.scot). xsd:string
Graph http://publishmydata.com/def/dataset#graph
http://statistics.gov.scot/graph/Life-Expectancy
Has a SPARQL endpoint at void:sparqlEndpoint http://rdfs.org/ns/void#sparqlEndpoint
http://statistics.gov.scot/sparql
http://publishmydata.com/def/dataset#nextUpdateDue http://publishmydata.com/def/dataset#nextUpdateDue
October 2025 xsd:string
In folder http://publishmydata.com/def/ontology/folder/inFolder
Population http://statistics.gov.scot/def/concept/folders/themes/population
National Records of Scotland http://statistics.gov.scot/def/concept/folders/organisations/national-records-of-scotland
Label rdfs:label http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#label
Life Expectancy xsd:string
License dcterms:license http://purl.org/dc/terms/license
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/
Publisher dcterms:publisher http://purl.org/dc/terms/publisher
Scottish Government http://statistics.gov.scot/id/organisation/scottish-government
Quality Management http://statistics.gov.scot/def/statistical-quality/quality-management
These data are quality assured by a statistician who was not involved in the publication. The council level data were also compared against those produced by ONS. The United Kingdom Statistics Authority (UKSA) has designated these statistics as National Statistics, in line with the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 and signifying compliance with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics ([available on the UKSA website](https://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/code-of-practice/about-the-code/)). National Statistics status means that official statistics meet the highest standards of trustworthiness, quality and public value. xsd:string
References dcterms:references http://purl.org/dc/terms/references
http://statistics.gov.scot/help http://statistics.gov.scot/help
Relevance http://statistics.gov.scot/def/statistical-quality/relevance
Used in monitoring and investigating health inequality issues within Scotland, setting public health targets, informing pensions policy, research and teaching. xsd:string
Revisions http://statistics.gov.scot/def/statistical-quality/revisions
Figures for the period from 2009-2011 to 2020-2022 were revised to take account of the rebased mid-year population estimates for 2011-2021 published in 2024 in light of the 2022 Census results. xsd:string
Theme dcat:theme http://www.w3.org/ns/dcat#theme
Population http://statistics.gov.scot/def/concept/folders/themes/population
National Records of Scotland http://statistics.gov.scot/def/concept/folders/organisations/national-records-of-scotland
Timeliness and Punctuality http://statistics.gov.scot/def/statistical-quality/timeliness-and-punctuality
The estimates are based on the mortality probabilities indicated by the death records for the three years prior to the date of publication. For example, the 2021-2023 estimates were published in October 2024. This dataset will be updated annually xsd:string
Title dcterms:title http://purl.org/dc/terms/title
Life Expectancy xsd:string
Type rdf:type http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#type
Data set http://purl.org/linked-data/cube#DataSet
Dataset http://publishmydata.com/def/dataset#Dataset
http://publishmydata.com/def/dataset#LinkedDataset
In Graph http://statistics.gov.scot/graph/Life-Expectancy
Structure qb:structure http://purl.org/linked-data/cube#structure
http://statistics.gov.scot/data/structure/Life-Expectancy http://statistics.gov.scot/data/structure/Life-Expectancy
Type rdf:type http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#type
Data set http://purl.org/linked-data/cube#DataSet
Machine-readable formats

In addition to this bookmarkable html page, this dataset metadata is also available for our robot customers in the following machine-readable formats. Please refer to the API documentation for more details.

dataset metadata JSON RDF/XML Turtle N-Triples Atom