The National Vital Statistics System makes it possible to track indicators of health status for the population at the national, state, and local levels, including disparities by age, sex, race and ethnicity, and detailed geography. The data are invaluable for identifying populations at risk, program planning, and developing initiatives to target health disparities. Anew report updates previous histories to reflect developments and changes over the past two decades that have been extraordinary and far-reaching.
The report can be obtained at https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_01/sr01_062.pdf.