Statistics Poland

Demographic Surveys Department

Al. Niepodległości 208, 00-925 Warszawa, POLAND

Data on causes of death (CoD) provide information on mortality patterns and form a major element of public health information.

CoD data refer to the underlying cause which - according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) - is "the disease or injury which initiated the train of morbid events leading directly to death, or the circumstances of the accident or violence which produced the fatal injury".

CoD data are derived from death certificates. The information provided in the medical certificate of cause of death is mapped to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD).

Eurostat's CoD statistics build on standards set out by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD)

The regional breakdown is based on the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS 2).

Classification and updates applied by years

Public Health

Concepts and definitions are described in the Commission regulation (EU) No 328/2011 in articles 2 and 3.

Usual Residence Population according to the definition in Regulation (EC) 1260/2013 Polish residents are all persons who reside or intend to reside in Poland for 12 months and

more.

It means that:

a) persons (registered for permanent stay in Poland) staying or intend to stay abroad for a period 12 months and more are excluded,

b) immigrants staying or intend to stay in Poland for a period 12 months and more are included.

From the total usual residence population are excluded: foreign military, naval, asylum seekers and diplomatic personnel and their families temporarily located in the country.

Stillbirth is death prior to the complete expulsion or extraction from mother of a product of conception, on condition that weighted at least 500 grams (or 22 weeks of gestational

age); the death is indicated by the fact that after separation the foetus shows any signs of life, such as beating of the heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord or definite movement of

voluntary muscles.

Up to 2014 and since 2018 the source of data of stillbirths was "Notification of birth" (live birth and stillbirth) and was collected:

For newborn: data and place of birth, sex, weight, crown-heel, multiplity, gestational age, place of delivery, number of previous live births or stillbirths, date of previous birth,

moment of death, citizenship;

For mother and father: data of birth, place of resident, PIN number (PESEL), marital status, data of marriage, educational level and source of maintenance.

For the years 2015, 2016 and 2017 the source of data of stillbirths is a hospital's report containing general information only: weight and place (voivodship) of occurance.

The statistical units are the deceased persons and the stillborns, respectively.

Object of the statistical population are the residents and non-resident who died within the territory of the Republic of Poland and also the stillbirths within the territory of the Republic of Poland.

Neonatals of non-resident mothers are not considered residents.

But data on non-residents neonatals are collected (there were not neonatals of non-resident mothers in 2020). They will be include in national data according to Commision Regulation No 328/2011 and provided to Eurostat.

Statistics Poland don't include non-residents in national statistics. 

But data on non-residents are collected (there were 971 deaths of non-resident in 2022). They will be include in national data according to Commision Regulation No 328/2011 and provided to Eurostat.

Statistics Poland don't include residents dying abroad in national statistics

Polish territory.

Time series available from 1999 onwards.

Not applicable.

The unit is number.

2022

CoD data was submitted to Eurostat on the basis of a gentleman's agreement established in the framework Eurostat's Working Group on "Public Health Statistics" until data with reference year 2010.

A Regulation on Community statistics on public health and health and safety at work (EC) No 1338/2008 was signed by the European Parliament and the Council on 16 December 2008. This Regulation is the framework of the data collection on the domain.

Within the context of this framework Regulation, a Regulation on Community statistics on public health and health and safety at work, as regards statistics on causes of death (EU) No 328/2011 was signed by the European Parliament and the Council on 5 April 2011. 

CoD data according to this regulation is submitted to Eurostat since reference year 2011.

State and government administration - central and local, scientific/research establishments, universities (academic teachers, students), medical institutes (of Oncology, Cardiology, Mother and Child, Public Health), media and other individual users (natural persons and institutions).

It is possible to disseminate the annual data in the form of individual data or any selected correlations with maintenance of statistical confidentiality in accordance with provisions of the Official Statistics Act - Law on Public Statistics: https://bip.stat.gov.pl/en/law/law-on-public-statistics/

Law on Public Statistics: https://bip.stat.gov.pl/en/law/law-on-public-statistics/

Law on Public Statistics: https://bip.stat.gov.pl/en/law/law-on-public-statistics/

Methodological Report Vital statistics. Balances of population, Chapter 5. - Deaths, Point 5.5. - Presentation of results https://stat.gov.pl/en/topics/population/population/methodological-report-vital-statistic-balances-of-population,11,1.html

Yearly calendar of publications https://stat.gov.pl/en/yearly-calendar/

Access to the release calendar information is available on the Statistics Poland website: https://stat.gov.pl/en/yearly-calendar/

The general data release policy: Law on Public Statistics: https://bip.stat.gov.pl/en/law/law-on-public-statistics/

Annual dissemination

1. Causes of death statistics

In Polish only: https://stat.gov.pl/obszary-tematyczne/ludnosc/statystyka-przyczyn-zgonow/

2. Definitions (Death, Infant deaths, Cause of death, Excess of mortality, Death rate)

In English: https://stat.gov.pl/en/metainformation/glossary/terms-used-in-official-statistics/list.html

3. Methodological report Vital statistic. Balances of population  

In English: https://stat.gov.pl/en/topics/population/population/methodological-report-vital-statistic-balances-of-population,11,1.html

Demographic Yearbook 2023: https://stat.gov.pl/en/topics/statistical-yearbooks/statistical-yearbooks/demographic-yearbook-of-poland-2023,3,17.html

In English: https://bdl.stat.gov.pl/BDL/dane/podgrup/temat

In English: https://strateg.stat.gov.pl/#/

In Polish only: https://demografia.stat.gov.pl/bazademografia/StartIntro.aspx  

Information not available

Micro-data are disseminated only to individual order (for example: National Institute of Public Health NIH - National Research Institute, Institute of Cardiology, Institute of Oncology).

Not applicable

Information not available

Methodological Report Vital statistics. Balances of population, Chapter 5. - Deaths, https://stat.gov.pl/en/topics/population/population/methodological-report-vital-statistic-balances-of-population,11,1.html

100%

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

The main users are Research Institutes, Universities, Public Government agencies, Business companies and natural persons. Users' needs include the most detailed, as well as recent CoD data.

Not available

All statistics that are needed are available.

1. For mandatory variables:

 Data complete

2. For voluntary variables:

 Data complet, except for causes of deaths to stillbirths

3. For additional variables:

• External CoD

 Not applicable

• Place of occurrence for external CoD

Not applicable

• Activity for external CoD

Not applicable 

Poland has full completeness of deaths registration and majority of the variables collected as part of the survey should be assessed as of good quality, they are complete in subjective and objective scope. For many years, the exception and at the same time a problem have been quality of data on causes of death. In Poland, low quality of the information on causes of death results from incorrect presentation by the certifying physicians, of the process and the causes which lead to death. The basic problem is omission of chronological description of cause chain/diseases responsible for death of the patient or its incorrect presentation and in the consequence incorrect or imprecise indication of the initial cause of death.

Not applicable. Data collection is from administrative sources.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable. Data collection is from administrative sources.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

From data collection with reference year 2011 onwards, Eurostat asks for the submission of final data at national and regional level and related metadata for the year N at N+24 months, according to the Implementing Regulation (EC) No. 328/2011, Article 4.

Not applicable

Not applicable

Not applicable

Not applicable

Full comparability

Not applicable, only annual data are available.

Not applicable

Full comparability

IT tools reduce cost and burden of data collection.

Statistics Poland doesn't perform systematic data revision of previous year data. The published data is definitive and is occasionally revised only, e.g. recalculated crude rates of deaths according the census population.

There is no systematic revision of previous year data. Data are only revised, e.g. if the "NUTS" changes.

Not applicable.

Death Certificate - official administrative data.

Methodological Report Vital statistics. Balances of population, Chapter 5. - Deaths, https://stat.gov.pl/en/topics/population/population/methodological-report-vital-statistic-balances-of-population,11,1.html

Annual.

Information about compile and code the causes of death is avaliable in Methodological report Vital statistic. Balances of population, Chapter - Deaths, page 32 (II stage - development of causes of death) https://stat.gov.pl/en/topics/population/population/methodological-report-vital-statistic-balances-of-population,11,1.html

This information is not available. Statistics Poland do not have such information. 

Table on certification (Percentage)

Data on stillbirths are collected on the basis of the "Notification of stillbirth".

Up to 2014 they was collected the same as data of live births and the source of this data was "Notification of birth" (selected on the notification - stillbirth).
For the years 2015, 2016 and 2017 the source of data of stillbirths was a hospital's report containing general information only: weight and place (voivodship) of occurance.
Since 2018 data is collected on the basis of the "Notification of stillbirth".

Data on neonates are collected on the basis of the "Death certificate".

The data on causes of death registered in the electronic format are controlled with the use of a tool (the system of validation of causes of death, the so-called “table of crosses”)
verifying justification of a particular cause of death in relation to sex and age of a deceased person (there are also taken into account such factors as the country’s natural/climatic
conditions).
The process of validation the data on causes of death is closed by verification of the data included in the result table correlating sex and age of the deceased and the cause of death.
The verification is performed by specialists medical institutes, such as: National Institute of Public Health NIH - National Research Institute, Institute of Cardiology, Institute of Oncology, Institute of Mother and
Child.

Information about coding in Poland is available in Methodological Report Vital statistics. Balances of population, Chapter 5. - Deaths, https://stat.gov.pl/en/topics/population/population/methodological-report-vital-statistic-balances-of-population,11,1.html

Description of coding procedure (central level, distributed among other bodies, etc.):

Coding is carried out at a central level.

The deaths by causes are worked out on the basis of the initial cause of death. The initial cause is the disease, which was at the beginning of the morbid process and which caused
the death; it may be also the injury or the poisoning, which caused the death.
In Poland a physician-coders are responsible for coding of the cause of death. Medical coders are a group of physicians specialized and trained in this field.
A physician-coder determines underlying (initial) cause of death based on the descriptions of the three causes of death on death certificate (immediate, secondary and underlining
causes of death). Coding the causes of death assumes consultation of the physician-coder with the doctor who diagnosed death and filled in the death certificate. The coders may
also use medical documentation regarding the to a deceased person. 

Description of the procedures to detect errors (i.e.errors such as potential inconsistency in the death certificate or error due to mistake when filling the deaths certificates):

The data on causes of death registered in the electronic format are controlled with the use of a tool (the system of validation of causes of death, the so-called “table of crosses”)
verifying justification of a particular cause of death in relation to sex and age of a deceased person (there are also taken into account such factors as the country’s natural/climatic
conditions).
The process of validation the data on causes of death is closed by verification of the data included in the result table correlating sex and age of the deceased and the cause of death.
The verification is performed by specialists medical institutes, such as: National Institute of Public Health NIH - National Research Institute, Institute of Cardiology, Institute of Oncology, Institute of Mother and
Child. 

Description of the measures taken in order to solve detected errors:

According to the analysis carried out by the institutes, doubtful causes of death are checked again with medical documentation and consultation of the physician-coder with the doctor who diagnosed death and filled in the death certificate. 

Coding performed by a certifier:

In Poland only a physician-coders are responsible for coding of the cause of death. 

Estimation of the percentage of autopsy from which information is available for coding:

In Poland only 4% the deceased subjected to autopsy. Information of all autopsies are available for coding (in 2022 - 3.9%).  

Description of double coding exercises and rate of codification errors for underlying cause of death:

Not applicable

ICD codes for the underlying cause (% of the Total)

Unknown country/region (%) for residents and non-residents who died in the country

Statistics Poland does not collect data on the region (NUTS2) of residence for non-resident, it only collects the country of residence for non-resident.

Continuity of administrative deaths certificates' numbers of issued by Civil Status Office.

Sets of individual data on deaths are processing separately, without using the other data.

Not applicable.

Not applicable

Not applicable

None.