Data Source

Survey

Type of Study

Annual, global survey

Data gathering method

Data collected from Municipal Register Offices.

Ease

Data is available online.

Conditions of access

Formal agreements (e.g. fees, research contracts, institutional agreements, etc.)

Access to ISTAT is open and free of charge. Registration is required to obtain raw data.

Time elapsed between application and reception of data

Immediate. Once the desired table is chosen, the system sends it by mail immediately.

Type of available data (e.g. anonymised microdata, aggregated tables, etc.)

Aggregate tables

Formats available

Excel, csv.

Language issues

Data is available in Italian and English.

Years of collection, reference years, and sample sizes

First year of data production was in 1923, but the survey is documented since 31/12/1998.

First year of collection

1923

Stratification if applicable

Province

Base used for sampling

Municipal register office

Geographical coverage and breakdowns

Italy/Regions/Province

Age range

Includes all deaths

Statistical representativeness

Population and region representative.

Coverage of main and cross-cutting topics

Information not available.

Further Reading

NA

Standardisation

CE n. 1338/2008

Possibility of linkage among databases

Information not available.

Entry errors if applicable

Information not available.

Breaks

Information not available.

Consistency of terminology or coding used during collection

Information not available.

The Vital statistics system on causes of death is the main source for the evaluation of the health status of the population, and for the health programmes and resources allocation. Data on causes of all deaths occurring in Italy during a calendar year are collected by the death certificates ISTAT/D.4, D.5, D.4 bis and D.5 bis. The physician must fill out the health section of the certificate (part A) and the civil status officer of the appurtenant municipality must fill out the demographic section of the certificate (part B).