BLAENAU Gwent has the highest death rate in Wales according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics.

The figures revealed there were 1,272 deaths per 100,000 population in Blaenau Gwent in 2013 while Monmouthshire had the lowest death rate in Wales with 890.3 deaths per 100,000 population. There were 813 people who died in Blaenau Gwent in 2013 of which 409 were males and 404 were females.

In Monmouthshire 939 people died in 2013 of which 464 were male and 474 were female. Newport had a ratio of 1,095.1 deaths per 100,000 population compared with 1,159.9 deaths per 100,000 population in Caerphilly.

Figures for Torfaen showed 1,078.8 deaths per 100,000 population and the county had the highest number of infant deaths in Wales with 7.7 per 1,000 live births.

The second highest infant mortality rate in Gwent was in Blaenau Gwent who had 5.0 infant deaths per 1,000 live births.

In 2013, the age-standardised mortality rate (ASMR) for the United Kingdom was 1,001.9 deaths per 100,000 population. This compares with ASMRs of 979.2 in England, 1,059.9 in Wales, 1,152.4 in Scotland and 1,054.9 in Northern Ireland. The mortality rates are for all causes of death and cover all ages.

The ONS said the variation in mortality rates between different local areas reflects differences in factors such as income deprivation, socio-economic status and health behaviour. The figures show that three men in Blaenau Gwent aged between 15 to 24-years-old died in 2013 and 13 people died in the county aged between 25 to 34-years-old.

There were 70 people who died aged between 55 to 64-years-old in 2013 and 250 people aged between 75 and 84-year-olds.