The key findings presented in the report are outlined below.

Changes in life expectancy over time

In Northern Ireland as a whole, between 1999-01 and 2004-06, male life expectancy at birth increased from 74.8 to 76.2 years (an increase of 1.4 years) and female life expectancy increased from 79.8 to 81.0 years (an increase of 1.3 years) Please note that figures may not sum due to rounding..

Declining mortality rates due to Coronary Heart Disease, strokes and other circulatory causes, as well as cancer and respiratory disease caused life expectancy to increase.

However, these increases were partially offset by increasing mortality rates over time due to accidental deaths, suicides and chronic liver disease and ‘other’ causes of death (not separately identified).