This cause of death is used when the cause of mortality in the deceased is not known and when there is no other cause that is deemed appropriate.

See also Map 80 Signs and symptoms.

For males, the highest rates are clustered in central London, with a further cluster in the extreme north west of Scotland. For females, the highest rates are in the north west of Scotland, followed by North Ayrshire and the Tweeddale area. Forty per cent of deaths were of people aged over 75; females dominate these older age groups.

Despite advances in pathology, it is not always possible to determine the cause of a person’s death. Some of these deaths will be the result of a corpse not being found for some time after death, meaning that there is insufficient evidence for the cause of death to be ascertained.