The Swedish cause of death register

TLDR

Sweden has a long tradition of recording cause‑of‑death data, and the Swedish cause‑of‑death register provides a virtually complete, high‑quality record of all deaths since 1952 that can be linked to other national registers for medical research. The paper aims to describe the origins and composition of the Swedish cause‑of‑death register, outline its strengths and weaknesses, and provide a guide for users. The authors analyze the register’s structure, document its strengths and weaknesses, and summarize cause‑of‑death patterns by age and over time. They find that the register’s main causes of death vary by age group and have shifted over time, demonstrating its value for epidemiological studies.

Abstract

Sweden has a long tradition of recording cause of death data. The Swedish cause of death register is a high quality virtually complete register of all deaths in Sweden since 1952. Although originally created for official statistics, it is a highly important data source for medical research since it can be linked to many other national registers, which contain data on social and health factors in the Swedish population. For the appropriate use of this register, it is fundamental to understand its origins and composition. In this paper we describe the origins and composition of the Swedish cause of death register, set out the key strengths and weaknesses of the register, and present the main causes of death across age groups and over time in Sweden. This paper provides a guide and reference to individuals and organisations interested in data from the Swedish cause of death register.