Registration Area

The United States has separate registration areas for birth, death, marriage, and divorce statistics. In general, registration areas correspond to States and include two separate registration areas for the District of Columbia and New York City. All States have adopted laws that require the registration of births and deaths and the reporting of fetal deaths. It is believed that more than 99 percent of the births and deaths occurring in this country are registered.

The death-registration area was established in 1900 with 10 States and the District of Columbia, and the birth-registration area was established in 1915, also with 10 States and the District of Columbia. Beginning with 1933, all States were included in the birth and death registration areas. The specific States added year by year are shown in "History and Organization of the Vital Statistics System," reprinted from Vital Statistics of the United States Vol I, 1950, chapter 1, National Center for Health Statistics, 1978. Currently, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam each constitutes a separate registration area, although their data are not included in statistical tabulations of U.S. resident data.

SOURCE: Health, United States

Related Links
Reporting Area

This page last reviewed January 11, 2007