Geographical patterns for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in 1994 are illustrated in these graphs. To make a valid comparison, the figures have first been adjusted to allow for differences in the age and sex structure of the populations concerned, because COPD prevalence is higher in men and in the elderly. Patterns of deaths, hospital admissions and prevalence were generally similar across geographical areas, with northern areas having higher rates than southern areas, but there were some regional variations in this overall pattern.