Over the 1997 to 2004 eight-year period, total deaths registered fluctuated between a high of 17,387 in 1999 to a low of 14,050 in the current reporting year. The highest increase was experienced in 1999 with 1,190 or 7.3% of the previous year. The highest decrease was in the year 2002 with a decline of 1,273 or 7.9%. The total decline from 1997 to 2004 was by 1,037 or 6.9%.
TABLE 1f: TOTALS FOR DEATHS REGISTERED BY PARISH FOR 1997 TO 2004
Graph 7 The individual trends for each parish are seen for the period. Kingston exhibits the highest degree of fluctuation, reaching a high of about 3,000 death registrations in 1999 and a low of around 2,000 in 2004. St. Andrew also reaches a high of around 3,000 in 1999 and reaches its low of around 2,000 in 2002 and 2004. St. Catherine also fluctuated, but to a lesser degree, its highest level of death registration also being in 1999 with about 2,200 and its least being about 1,800 in 2004.
GRAPH 7: DEATHS REGISTERED BY PARISH AND YEAR FOR 1997 TO 2004
The rest of the parishes fluctuated also and all fell under the 1,500 mark. Over the period, the largest overall increase was seen in Manchester with 321 or 30.1%. St. Andrew, however, saw the largest decrease with 523 or 19.0%.
In Chart 5, the trends in total deaths registered are shown for all parishes over the eight-year period. The same observations are seen as in Graph 7 for Kingston, St. Andrew and St. Catherine. In respect of details for the other parishes it can be seen that St. Thomas was generally constant around a little over 500 deaths. Portland fluctuated minimally around the 450 mark. St. Mary increased and then decreased through 1997 to 2004 and averaged around 650. Westmoreland showed a general trend of decline from 906 to 685. Hanover declined from 365 to 296 with an average of 330 deaths. St. James fluctuated drastically with a high of 1,464 in 2000 and a low of 1,001 in 2003 and averaged 1,233. Trelawny was generally constant with an average of 395 deaths. Clarendon fluctuated from a high of 1,193 in 2001 to a low of 974 in 1997. Manchester averaged 1,309 but also saw a significant overall increase of 321. Finally, St. Elizabeth fluctuated around a high of 873 in 2001 and a low of 679 in the current reporting year.
CHART 5: DEATHS REGISTERED BY PARISH AND YEAR OF REGISTRATION FOR 1997 TO 2004
Graph 8 shows total deaths registered in each year from 1997 to 2004. The total is seen to fluctuate over the eight-year period. It increases sharply in 1998 from 15,087 to 16,197. In the following year, it again increases significantly to 17,387. In 2000, it declines sharply to 16,338 and minimally in 2001 to 16,204. The year 2002 sees another significant decline to 14,931 while in 2003 there is no significant change when a total of 14,939 were registered. In the current year, there is another significant decline to 14,050.
PH 8: TOTAL DEATHS REGISTERED FOR YEARS 1997-2004