KEY FACTS Population: 63,136,000 (2013) GDP p.c. growth: 1.5% p.a. 1990–2013 GNI p.c.: US$39,140 (2013) UN HDI 2014: World ranking 14 Life expectancy: 81 years (2013) Under-five mortality rate (per 1,000 live births): 5 (2013) Largest contribution to mortality: Cardiovascular diseases Government health expenditure: 8% of GDP (2012) General information The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK) consists of a group of islands off the western coast of Europe. The largest, Great Britain, comprises three countries: England, Scotland and Wales. Ireland, to the west, consists of the UK’s province of Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic. There are several offshore islands and island groups, the largest lying off Scotland. 288 Commonwealth Health Partnerships 2015 The UK is a union of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Crown dependencies (the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man) are largely self-governing with the UK responsible for their defence and international relations and are not part of the United Kingdom. Climate: The climate is mild, cool–temperate and oceanic. Rainfall is generally heaviest in September–January. Air currents across the Atlantic are warmed by the Gulf Stream and make the rainfall unpredictable but also give the country a warmer climate than usual for its latitude. The northerly latitude gives long days in summer and long nights in winter. Environment: The most significant environmental issues are continuing reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in line with Kyoto Protocol commitments; air pollution, mainly by motor vehicles; and the need to recycle a progressively larger proportion of solid waste. Population: 63,136,000 (2013); England 83.6 per cent, Scotland 8.6 per cent, Wales 4.9 per cent and Northern Ireland 2.9 per cent (2001 census); 82 per cent of people live in urban areas and 28 per cent in urban agglomerations of more than a million people. The population growth rate stood at 0.4 per cent p.a. between the years of 1990 and 2013. In 2013 the birth rate was 12 per 1,000 people (16 in 1970); and life expectancy was 81 years (72 in 1970 and around 50 in 1901). According to the 2001 census, the ethnic origins of the population are 92.1 per cent European; 4.0 per cent Asian (1.8 per cent Indian, 1.3 per cent Pakistani, 0.5 per cent Bangladeshi); two per cent Caribbean or African; and 0.4 per cent Chinese. Economy: The UK is classified as a high-income economy by the World Bank. Health Child and maternal health: The rate of infant mortality in the UK was five deaths per 1,000 live births in 2013, with an under-five mortality rate of five deaths per 1,000 live births in 2013 – down from nine deaths in 1990. In 2012 the two most prominent causes of death for children below the age of five years were prematurity (40 per cent) and congenital anomalies (27 per cent). Other contributory causes were intrapartum-related complications (seven per cent), acute respiratory infections (four per cent), injuries (three per cent) and neonatal sepsis (one per cent). In 2013 the UK had an adjusted maternal mortality ratio of eight deaths per 100,000 live births (an estimate from UN agencies/World Bank), down from 12 deaths per 100,000 in 2010. The maternal mortality ratio target for 2015 is three per 100,000 live births. Burden of disease: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the UK accounted for an estimated 88 per cent of all mortality in 2008. The most prevalent NCDs in the UK were cardiovascular diseases, which accounted for 34 per cent of total deaths across all age United Kingdom
Commonwealth Health Partnerships 2015
To see the actual publication please follow the link above