The CELESTIAL study is a cohort study using data linkage to compare people with end stage kidney disease (ESKD) and living kidney donors versus the general population. The datasets of people with ESKD, living kidney donors in Australia and New Zealand, and the Australians and New Zealand population were linked to investigate cause of death in these three study populations. These datasets included those managed by the Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry (ANZDATA), The Australian Institute for Health and Welfare (AIHW) and the NZ Ministry of Health. The study also establishes how different types of treatment for ESKD (dialysis, kidney transplant) affect someone’s chances of dying from stroke, heart attack or cancer compared with the general population.