Population Research

Vital statistics are quantitative information about a population's "vital events" such as the number of births (natality), deaths (mortality), marriages (nuptiality) and divorces.

In the United States, legal authority for the registration of these events resides individually with the 50 States, 2 cities (Washington, DC, and New York City), and 5 territories (Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands). 

• Vital Statistics of the United States Annual reports that present detailed vital statistics data, including natality, mortality, marriage and divorce.  1890-2003.
• National Vital Statistics Reports (formerly the Monthly Vital Statistics Report) Provisional birth, death, marriage, and divorce statistics. Four to six special reports are issued per year. Special reports cover final data on births for the previous year, and special topic analyses are issued from time to time.
• Vital Statistics Rapid Release Access to the timeliest vital statistics data available. Quarterly provisional estimates on mortality, natality and infant deaths.

• Other Vital Statistics Series (mostly historical) including:

  • Data on Mortality

  • Data on Natality, Marriage & Divorce

  • Data from the National Natality and Mortality Surveys

  • Data from the National Survey of Family Growth

• Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Weekly reports about death and death rates
• Atlas of United States Mortality Released April 14, 1997.
• Life Tables (Life Expectancy) 
• U.S. Social Security Administration Life Expectancy Calculator - Based upon gender and date of birth.
• Fertility Detailed information about fertility of women and men in the United States.
• Fetal Deaths Information about the  spontaneous intrauterine death of a fetus at any time during pregnancy

United Nations Population and Vital Statistics Report - Contains the United Nations' most recent data on country population size (total, male and female) from the latest available census of the population, national official population estimates and the number and rate (births, deaths and infant deaths) for the latest available year within the past 15 years. Also presents U.N. estimates of the mid-year population of the world, and its major areas and regions. For earlier print volumes visit Stokes Library.

To locate print volumes of Vital Statistics tabulations held by Princeton, go to the Princeton Library Catalog and perform a Subject (browse) search as follows: (country name) -- Statistics, Vital. Increasingly, the most current vital statsitcs are posted on a country's statistical agency website. Click here for links to statistical agencies or see the National Statistical Offices and Central Banks Web Archive for archived versions of international statistical office web pages.. 

Recent Demographic Developments in Europe [Strasbourg] : Council of Europe Press, 1993-2005. National population and vital statistics information for European countries.