Surprised 2174 Brits died abroad of “unknown causes” in 2010: new figures from the FCO

More data from the FCO, going into further detail about the figures published in their “British Behaviour Abroad” report, covering consular activity between March 2010 and March 2011. It took so long to get a breakdown of the 62 murders that I was expecting to have to wait longer for these further reports. But each time I’ve subsequently made a new request from the press office, I’ve received an email with the figures almost the same day.

“Cause of death: unknown” accounts for 2174 British visitors and local British residents. It’s a big number, but perhaps one shouldn’t deduce anything suspicious about it.  The biggest numbers seem to be in countries with big British resident populations, and here I’m told it’s not uncommon for the British embassy to be told about the death but not be given any further information.

For anyone who thinks this interest in accidents, murder and death is a touch morbid, I should point out it that it has been prompted by the widespread attention to the supposed dangers of travelling in many parts of Africa. I’m interested in correcting what I believe is a mistaken impression. It’s worth remembering that the ordinary annual “death rate” in the UK, through all causes, including illnesses associated with old age, is just under 1%. So some 500,000 Britons died in the UK in the same period.

This is all awfully British. . . If anyone has figures for other major tourist/visitor source countries, do get in touch.

In the next post, I’ll summarise all the figures for Africa. It turns out that in 26 African countries in 2010/11 not a single British visitor or resident died – of any cause.

Natural causes

Cause of death: unknown

Afghanistan	1	0
Angola	2	3
Argentina	4	3
Australia	38	33
Austria	5	1
Bahrain	9	0
Bangladesh	2	3
Barbados	5	13
Belarus	1	0
Belgium	8	11
Belize	1	1
Bolivia	2	1
Botswana	3	0
Brazil	10	3
British Virgin Islands	0	1
Brunei	2	3
Bulgaria	16	10
Burma	0	1
Cambodia	1	10
Cameroon	1	1
Canada	30	13
Cayman Islands	1	1
Chile	2	1
China	24	19
Colombia	0	2
Congo DRC	1	0
Croatia	9	3
Cuba	1	10
Curacao	1	0
Cyprus	91	112
Czech Republic	13	1
Denmark	2	12
Dominican Republic	9	6
Egypt	49	25
Estonia	1	2
Ethiopia	1	2
Fiji	0	1
Finland	2	4
France	127	510
The Gambia	5	13
Georgia	0	1
Germany	292	172
Ghana	3	7
Greece	73	43
Guatemala	0	3
Hungary	2	2
Iceland	2	2
India	81	34
Indonesia	8	5
Iraq	1	0
Ireland	2	1
Israel	6	1
Italy	97	18
Jamaica	9	10
Japan	8	1
Jerusalem	0	1
Jordan	8	0
Kazakhstan	2	0
Kenya	6	10
Kuwait	5	2
Laos	0	1
Lebanon	3	0
Libya	1	0
Lithuania	1	0
Malawi	4	0
Malaysia	31	7
Malta	15	24
Mauritius	3	0
Mexico	8	3
Mongolia	0	1
Montenegro	1	0
Morocco	15	3
Mozambique	0	1
Namibia	0	1
Nepal	0	4
Netherlands	9	25
New Zealand	95	9
Nigeria	7	5
Norway	34	2
Oman	11	2
Pakistan	11	3
Peru	0	6
Philippines	62	1
Poland	7	17
Portugal	80	121
Qatar	1	2
Romania	5	2
Russia	5	2
Rwanda	0	1
Saudi Arabia	13	3
Senegal	2	2
Serbia	1	0
Seychelles	0	1
Sierra Leone	4	0
Singapore	20	6
Slovakia	1	1
Slovenia	1	0
Solomon Islands	1	1
South Africa	26	11
South Korea	2	2
Spain	1193	360
Sri Lanka	10	6
Sudan	0	1
Sweden	1	56
Switzerland	7	153
Tanzania	2	2
Thailand	209	91
Trinidad & Tobago	1	1
Tunisia	8	3
Turkey	82	22
Turkmenistan	1	0
Uganda	1	2
Ukraine	4	0
United Arab Emirates	46	14
USA	72	37
Venezuela	1	2
Vietnam	4	5
Yemen	1	1
Zambia	22	0
Zimbabwe	16	0
	3246	2174