Mortality Data
Mortality data from the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) are a fundamental source of demographic, geographic, and cause-of-death information. This is one of the few sources of health-related data that are comparable for small geographic areas and are available for a long time period in the United States. The data are also used to present the characteristics of those dying in the United States, to determine life expectancy, and to compare mortality trends with other countries.
Standard forms for the collection of the data and model procedures for the uniform registration of the events are developed and recommended for nationwide use through cooperative activities of the jurisdictions and NCHS. Material is available to assist persons in completing the death certificate. NCHS shares the costs incurred by the States in providing vital statistics data for national use. For further information, refer to U.S. Vital Statistics System Major Activities and Developments: 1950-95. Software is available to automate coding of medical information on the death certificate, following World Health Organization rules specified in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD).
Key Mortality Statistics
Data for United States in 2016
- Number of deaths: 2,744,248
- Death rate: 849.3 deaths per 100,000 population
- Life expectancy: 78.6 years
- Infant Mortality rate: 5.87 deaths per 1,000 live births
What's New
Data Releases
Publication
- Suicide Mortality in the United States, 1999–2017 (11/29/2018)
- Drug Overdose Deaths in the United States, 1999–2017 (11/29/2018)
- Mortality in the United States, 2017 (11/29/2018)
- Infant Mortality by Age at Death in the United States, 2016 (11/16/2018)
- United States Life Tables, 2015 [PDF – 2 MB] (11/12/2018)
- U.S. Small-area Life Expectancy Estimates Project: Methodology and Results Summary [PDF – 8 MB](9/10/2018)
- Lack of Change in Perinatal Mortality in the United States, 2014–2016 (08/08/2018)
- Deaths: Leading Causes for 2016 [PDF – 2 MB] (07/26/2018)
- Deaths: Final Data for 2016 [PDF – 2 MB] (07/26/2018)
- Trends in Liver Cancer Mortality Among Adults Aged 25 and Over in the United States, 2000–2016 (07/17/2018)
- Suicide Rates in the United States Continue to Increase (06/14/2018)
- Recent Increases in Injury Mortality Among Children and Adolescents Aged 10–19 Years in the United States: 1999–2016 [PDF – 413 KB] (06/01/2018)
- Quarterly Provisional Estimates for Selected Indicators of Mortality, 2016–Quarter 4, 2017 (05/23/2018)
- Quarterly Provisional Estimates of Infant Mortality, 2015–Quarter 2, 2017 (05/15/2018)
- Differences Between Rural and Urban Areas in Mortality Rates for the Leading Causes of Infant Death: United States, 2013–2015 (02/15/18)
- State Variations in Infant Mortality by Race and Hispanic Origin of Mother, 2013–2015 (01/04/2018)
- Mortality in the United States, 2016 (12/21/2017)
- Deaths: Final Data for 2015 [PDF – 3 MB] (11/27/17)
- Deaths: Leading Causes for 2015 [PDF – 2 MB] (11/27/17)
- Drug Overdose Deaths Among Adolescents Aged 15–19 in the United States: 1999–2015 (08/16/2017)
- United States Life Tables, 2014 [PDF – 2 MB] (08/14/2017)
- Trends in Infant Mortality in the United States, 2005–2014
- Timeliness of Death Certificate Data for Mortality Surveillance and Provisional Estimates [PDF – 210 KB] (12/2016)
Related Links
- Page last reviewed: November 29, 2018
- Page last updated: November 29, 2018
- Content source: