U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).
Administrative records (death certificates) completed by funeral directors, physicians, medical examiners, and coroners are filed with State vital statistics offices; selected statistical information is forwarded to NCHS to be merged into a national statistical file. Beginning with 1989, revised standard certificates replaced the 1978 versions; implementation of the next revision, for 2003, is being phased in by the States. Demographic information on the death certificate is provided by the funeral director and is based on information supplied by an informant. Medical certification of cause of death is provided by a physician, medical examiner, or coroner.
NVSS mortality files include data for the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the territories of Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas. All deaths occurring in those areas are included (approximately 2.3 to 2.4 million annually).
Year of death, place of decedent's residence, place death occurred, age at death, day of week and month of death, Hispanic origin, race, marital status (beginning in 1979), place of birth, gender, underlying and multiple causes of death for all States, injury at work (beginning in 1993), hospital and patient status, and educational attainment (beginning in 1989) for selected States.
The U.S. population.
Sex, race, Hispanic origin (beginning in 1984), age at death, place of decedent's residence, educational attainment (beginning in 1989) for selected States, and marital status. Race and ethnic origin are separate items on the death certificate. Beginning with 1992 data, California, Hawaii, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Texas, and Washington reported expanded Asian and Pacific Islander categories of Asian Indian, Korean, Vietnamese, Samoan, and Guamanian. The rest of the States reported a combined Other Asian and Pacific Islander category in addition to the categories of white, black, American Indian, Chinese, Hawaiian, Japanese, and Filipino that all States report. As of 1997, all States report Hispanic origin. The categories reported include Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central and South American, and Other Hispanic. Beginning with data for 2003, multiple race data will be available for selected States.
The data system began in 1880 but not all States participated before 1933. Coverage for deaths has been complete since 1933.
Annual.
National, regional, State, and county. Beginning with 1989 data, some changes were initiated to increase confidentiality protection. Identifying information including date of death and geographic identifiers for counties of less than 100,000 persons is not available for public use.
Agency homepage: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs
Data system homepage: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/about/major/dvs/mortdata.htm .
Arias E, Anderson RN, Hsiang-Ching K, Murphy SL, Kochanek KD. Deaths: Final Data for 2001. National vital statistics reports; vol. 52 no. 3. Hyattsville, Maryland: National Center for Health Statistics. 2003.
Kochanek KD, Smith BL. Deaths: Preliminary Data for 2002. National vital statistics reports; vol 52 no 13. Hyattsville, Maryland: National Center for Health Statistics. 2004.