Share of deaths registered with an ill-defined cause of death in Norway
Norway: Share of deaths registered with an ill-defined cause of death was 5.2% in 2016. ▼ Falling
Latest (2016)
5.2%
Change on year
up 1.3%
World rank
48th
of 113 countries
All-time high
8.9%
in 1951
All-time low
3.1%
in 1988
Years of data
66
1951–2016
Share of deaths registered with an ill-defined cause of death in Norway, 1951–2016
Source: WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2016, share of deaths registered with an ill-defined cause of death in Norway stood at 5.2%.
The figure is up 1.3% on the previous year and up 25.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of deaths registered with an ill-defined cause of death in Norway peaked at 8.9% in 1951 and was at its lowest, 3.1%, in 1988.
Norway ranks 48th of 113 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Share of deaths registered with an ill-defined cause of death in Norway, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | 8.9% | — |
| 1952 | 8.3% | -7.0% |
| 1953 | 8.0% | -2.9% |
| 1954 | 7.2% | -10.1% |
| 1955 | 7.5% | +4.1% |
| 1956 | 7.0% | -6.6% |
| 1957 | 7.2% | +2.9% |
| 1958 | 7.1% | -1.5% |
| 1959 | 6.7% | -6.1% |
| 1960 | 6.9% | +2.9% |
| 1961 | 6.2% | -10.4% |
| 1962 | 6.3% | +2.9% |
| 1963 | 6.3% | -0.1% |
| 1964 | 6.6% | +3.7% |
| 1965 | 6.3% | -3.6% |
| 1966 | 6.4% | +0.5% |
| 1967 | 6.3% | -0.9% |
| 1968 | 5.8% | -8.0% |
| 1969 | 5.2% | -11.1% |
| 1970 | 5.0% | -2.6% |
| 1971 | 5.3% | +5.3% |
| 1972 | 5.0% | -6.4% |
| 1973 | 5.2% | +4.2% |
| 1974 | 4.8% | -7.7% |
| 1975 | 4.9% | +2.2% |
| 1976 | 4.9% | +0.3% |
| 1977 | 4.9% | +0.5% |
| 1978 | 5.2% | +6.1% |
| 1979 | 5.0% | -4.9% |
| 1980 | 4.4% | -11.3% |
| 1981 | 4.0% | -8.9% |
| 1982 | 3.8% | -5.2% |
| 1983 | 3.8% | +0.3% |
| 1984 | 3.6% | -6.6% |
| 1985 | 3.4% | -5.2% |
| 1986 | 3.1% | -6.8% |
| 1987 | 3.2% | +0.7% |
| 1988 | 3.1% | -3.4% |
| 1989 | 3.3% | +6.7% |
| 1990 | 3.5% | +7.9% |
| 1991 | 3.9% | +9.7% |
| 1992 | 3.9% | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 4.2% | +7.6% |
| 1994 | 4.1% | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 4.1% | -1.6% |
| 1996 | 3.4% | -15.7% |
| 1997 | 3.6% | +5.3% |
| 1998 | 4.3% | +19.2% |
| 1999 | 4.3% | +0.8% |
| 2000 | 4.5% | +3.0% |
| 2001 | 4.4% | -2.4% |
| 2002 | 4.9% | +12.1% |
| 2003 | 4.7% | -3.5% |
| 2004 | 4.1% | -12.6% |
| 2005 | 4.3% | +3.3% |
| 2006 | 4.2% | -2.1% |
| 2007 | 4.5% | +6.7% |
| 2008 | 4.9% | +10.2% |
| 2009 | 4.9% | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 5.3% | +7.6% |
| 2011 | 5.0% | -4.2% |
| 2012 | 5.2% | +2.6% |
| 2013 | 7.5% | +44.6% |
| 2014 | 5.5% | -25.8% |
| 2015 | 5.2% | -6.7% |
| 2016 | 5.2% | +1.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 7.6% | 6.7% | 8.9% | 9 |
| 1960s | 6.2% | 5.2% | 6.9% | 10 |
| 1970s | 5.0% | 4.8% | 5.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.6% | 3.1% | 4.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.9% | 3.4% | 4.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.5% | 4.1% | 4.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.6% | 5.0% | 7.5% | 7 |
Countries ranked near Norway
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Frequently asked questions
- What is share of deaths registered with an ill-defined cause of death in Norway?
- Share of deaths registered with an ill-defined cause of death in Norway was 5.2% in 2016, according to WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of deaths registered with an ill-defined cause of death recorded in Norway?
- The highest recorded value was 8.9% in 1951.
- What is the lowest share of deaths registered with an ill-defined cause of death recorded in Norway?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.1% in 1988.
- How does Norway rank for share of deaths registered with an ill-defined cause of death?
- Norway ranks 48th out of 113 countries with data for 2016.
- Is share of deaths registered with an ill-defined cause of death rising or falling in Norway?
- Over the last ten years it is up 25.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Norway data come from?
- The figures come from WHO Mortality Database (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of deaths registered with an ill-defined cause of death. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Share of total reported deaths in both sexes in those aged all ages that are from ill-defined diseases.