Vital Statistics

Vital Statistics, branch of statistics that deals with the changes and most basic events of human population, for example, findings pertaining to birth, mortality, marriage, and illness (see Statistics). Vital statistics are indispensable in studying social trends and making important legislative and commercial decisions (see Marketing). Such statistics are gathered from census and registrars' reports; vital records are also kept by physicians, attorneys, funeral directors, clergy, and similar professional people. In the U.S. national statistics are compiled and published by the Public Health Service of the Department of Health and Human Services.

Vital statistics fall into two categories: crude rates and refined rates. Crude rates are vital statistics about the general population, such as the number of births and deaths per 1000 people in a given population. Refined rates are vital statistics about a specific segment of the population, such as the number of births and deaths per 1000 people in a particular age group, ethnic group, gender, or state population.

See also Demography; Population.