National Vital Statistics System
The National Vital Statistics System is the oldest and most successful example of inter-governmental data sharing in Public Health and the shared relationships, standards, and procedures form the mechanism by which NCHS collects and disseminates the Nation’s official vital statistics. These data are provided through contracts between NCHS and vital registration systems operated in the various jurisdictions legally responsible for the registration of vital events – births, deaths, marriages, divorces, and fetal deaths.
How to get a birth, death, marriage, or divorce certificate
Need a birth, death, marriage, or divorce certificate? Use our state and territory specific information to find out where to write.
What's New
Restricted-Use Data for Research
- A new application process is in place for researchers who need access to confidential micro-data files
Publications
- Evaluation of the Pregnancy Status Checkbox on the Identification of Maternal Deaths pdf icon[PDF – 1 MB] (01/30/2020)
- Maternal Mortality in the United States: Changes in Coding, Publication, and Data Release, 2018 pdf icon[PDF – 1 MB](01/30/2020)
- The Impact of the Pregnancy Checkbox and Misclassification on Maternal Mortality Trends in the United States, 1999–2017 pdf icon[PDF – 6 MB] (01/30/2020)
- Mortality in the United States, 2018 (01/30/2020)
- Drug Overdose Deaths in the United States, 1999–2018 (01/30/2020)
- Changes in Life Expectancy at Birth, 2010–2018 (01/30/2020)
- Births: Final Data for 2018 pdf icon[PDF – 985 KB] Supplemental Tables pdf icon[PDF – 654 KB] (11/27/2019)
- Death Rates Due to Suicide and Homicide Among Persons Aged 10–24: United States, 2000–2017 (10/17/2019)
- Mortality Among Adults Aged 25 and Over by Marital Status: United States, 2010–2017 (10/10/2019)
- Is Twin Childbearing on the Decline? Twin Births in the United States, 2014–2018 (10/3/2019)
- Maternal Characteristics and Infant Outcomes in Appalachia and the Delta pdf iconpdf icon[PDF – 1 MB] (09/25/2019)
- Mortality Patterns Between the Five States With The Highest Death Rates and the Five States With Lowest Death Rates in the United States, 2017 (09/05/2019)
- Infant Mortality in the United States, 2017: Data From the Period Linked Birth/Infant Death File pdf iconpdf icon[PDF – 475 KB] Supplemental Tables pdf iconpdf icon[PDF – 447 KB] (08/01/2019)
- Births in the United States, 2018 (07/24/2019)
- Mortality Trends by Race and Ethnicity Among Adults Aged 25 and over: United States, 2000–2017 (07/23/2019)
- Unintentional Injury Death Rates in Rural and Urban Areas: United States, 1999–2017 (07/16/2019)
- Deaths: Leading Causes for 2017 pdf iconpdf icon[PDF – 2 MB] (06/24/2019)
- United States Life Tables, 2017 pdf iconpdf icon[PDF – 2 MB] (06/24/2019)
- Deaths: Final Data for 2017 pdf iconpdf icon[PDF – 2 MB] Supplemental Tables pdf iconpdf icon[PDF – 2 MB] (06/24/2019)
- Suicide Rates for Females and Males by Race and Ethnicity: United States, 1999 and 2017 (06/20/2019)
- Assessing the Quality of Medical and Health Data From the 2003 Birth Certificate Revision: Results From New York City pdf iconpdf icon[PDF – 944 KB] (06/10/2019)
- Trends in Cancer and Heart Disease Death Rates Among Adults Aged 45–64: United States, 1999–2017 pdf iconpdf icon[PDF – 231 KB] (05/22/2019)
- United States Life Tables, 2016 pdf iconpdf icon[PDF – 2 MB] (05/07/2019)
- Dementia Mortality in the United States, 2000–2017 pdf iconpdf icon[PDF – 611 KB] (03/14/2019)
- Educational Attainment of Mothers Aged 25 and Over: United States, 2017 (02/21/2019)
- Total Fertility Rates by State and Race and Hispanic Origin: United States, 2017 pdf iconpdf icon[PDF – 922 KB] (01/10/2019)
- 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 iconpdf icon[PDF – 2 MB] (11/13/2018)
- Births: Final Data for 2017 pdf iconpdf icon[PDF – 985 KB] (11/7/2018)
- Trends in Fertility and Mother’s Age at First Birth Among Rural and Metropolitan Counties: United States, 2007–2017 (10/17/2018)
- U.S. Small-area Life Expectancy Estimates Project: Methodology and Results Summary pdf iconpdf icon[PDF – 8 MB] (9/10/2018)
Public Use Data
- 2018 Birth Data Files (7/24/2019)
Training
Page last reviewed: January 30, 2020
Content source: CDC/National Center for Health Statistics