Mortality patterns -- preliminary data, United States, 1996.

In 1996, the estimated number of deaths in the United States totaled 2,322,265, slightly higher than the final total in 1995 of 2,312,132. Despite this slight increase in the total number of deaths in 1996, the preliminary crude death rate (875.4 per 100,000 population) declined slightly from that in 1995 and was equal to the crude death rate in 1994; in addition, in 1996 the age-adjusted death rate (493.6 per 100,000 U.S. standard population) reached an all-time low. This report summarizes preliminary 1996 vital statistics data from CDC's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) (1) and compares these data with data from 1995 and, for life expectancy, data from 1900 to 1995. The findings indicate declines in the rates for most leading causes of death and the infant mortality rate and an increase in overall estimated life expectancy.