Related Guides
Data Sources & Mapping Tools
- Washington Post Police Shootings Database In 2015, The Washington Post began to log every fatal shooting by an on-duty police officer in the United States.
- IPUMS Health Surveys The National Health Interview Survey is a survey collecting information on the health, health care access, and health behaviors of the civilian, non-institutionalized U.S. population, with digital data files available from 1963 to present. IPUMS Health Surveys harmonizes these data and allows users to create custom NHIS data extracts for analysis.
- ICPSR Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research This link opens in a new window ICPSR is the world's largest archive of computer readable social science data in education, aging, criminal justice, substance abuse, terrorism, and other fields.
- Dartmouth Atlas Data MEDICARE CLAIMS DATA OVER MORE THAN TWO DECADES has been a hallmark of the Dartmouth Atlas research group. At The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice we have created a publicly available source of data providing researchers, payers, regulators, and innovators with metrics quantifying the temporal and regional patterns of health care spending and utilization, particularly with regard to the diffusion and exnovation of medical interventions. This website will therefore allow the public to download complete datasets of selected variables spanning decades; newer data will be posted as they become available.
- Changing Lives of Older Couples (OLOC), ICPSR Changing Lives of Older Couples (CLOC) is a large multi-wave prospective study of spousal bereavement. Face-to-face baseline interviews with married older adults in the Detroit, Michigan standardized metropolitan statistical area (SMSA) were conducted between June 1987 and April 1988, and follow-up interviews were conducted at six months (Wave 1), 18 months (Wave 2), and 48 months (Wave 3) after a spouse's death.
- National Mortality Followback Survey (about), CDC The Mortality Followback Survey Program, begun in the 1960’s by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), uses a sample of United States residents who die in a given year to supplement the death certificate with information from the next of kin or another person familiar with the decedent’s life history. This information, sometimes enhanced by administrative records, provides a unique opportunity to study the etiology of disease, demographic trends in mortality, and other health issues.
- National Mortality Followback Survey series (ICPSR) The National Mortality Followback Survey (NMFS) Program, begun in the 1960s by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), uses a sample of United States residents who die in a given year, supplementing information derived from the death certificate with information from the next of kin or another person familiar with the decedent's life history. This information, sometimes enhanced by administrative records, is collected in order to study the etiology of disease, demographic trends in mortality, and other health issues.
- Wisconsin Longitudinal Study The Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS) is a long-term study of a random sample of 10,317 men and women who graduated from Wisconsin high schools in 1957. The WLS provides an opportunity to study the life course, intergenerational transfers and relationships, family functioning, physical and mental health and well-being, and morbidity and mortality from late adolescence through 2011.
- Health and Retirement Study (HRS) The University of Michigan Health and Retirement Study (HRS) is a longitudinal panel study that surveys a representative sample of approximately 20,000 people in America, supported by the National Institute on Aging (NIA U01AG009740) and the Social Security Administration.
- National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) Begun in 2011, the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) fosters research to guide efforts to reduce disability, maximize health and independent functioning, and enhance quality of life at older ages. As the US population ages, NHATS will provide the basis for understanding trends in late-life functioning, how these differ for various population subgroups, and the economic and social consequences of aging and disability for individuals, families, and society.
- National Archive of Computerized Data on Aging (NACDA The National Archive of Computerized Data on Aging (NACDA), located within ICPSR, is funded by the National Institute on Aging. NACDA's mission is to advance research on aging by helping researchers to profit from the under-exploited potential of a broad range of datasets.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC increases the health security of our nation. As the nation’s health protection agency, CDC saves lives and protects people from health threats. To accomplish our mission, CDC conducts critical science and provides health information that protects our nation against expensive and dangerous health threats, and responds when these arise.
- Policy Map This link opens in a new window Easy-to-use online mapping and visualization tool. Downloadable U.S. demographic, economic and social data by city, state, zip code, county or census tract. Types of data include crime, housing, health, education and occupations, derived from both public and proprietary sources.
- National Vital Statistics System (CDC) Shadow from a clock. Mortality data from the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) are a fundamental source of demographic, geographic, and cause-of-death information. This is one of the few sources of health-related data that are comparable for small geographic areas and are available for a long time period in the United States. The data are also used to present the characteristics of those dying in the United States, to determine life expectancy, and to compare mortality trends with other countries.
- National Vital Statistics Reports (CDC) National Vital Statistics Reports (NVSR) are regular issues from the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) that cover 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.
- WISQARS: Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Diesase Control and Prevention CDC’s WISQARS™ (Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System) is an interactive, online database that provides fatal and nonfatal injury, violent death, and cost of injury data from a variety of trusted sources. Researchers, the media, public health professionals, and the public can use WISQARS™ data to learn more about the public health and economic burden associated with unintentional and violence-related injury in the United States.
- CDC WONDER WONDER online databases utilize a rich ad-hoc query system for the analysis of public health data. Reports and other query systems are also available.
- Underlying Cause-of-Death (CDC WONDER) The Compressed Mortality data include mortality and population counts for all U.S. counties for the years 1968 to 2015. Counts and rates of death can be obtained by underlying cause of death, state, county, age, race, sex, and year.
- Multiple Cause of Death Data (CDC WONDER) he Multiple Cause of Death data available on CDC WONDER are county-level national mortality and population data. Data are based on death certificates for U.S. residents. Each death certificate contains a single underlying cause of death, up to twenty additional multiple causes, and demographic data. The number of deaths, crude death rates and age-adjusted death rates can be obtained by place of residence (United States national, state, and county), age group, race, Hispanic ethnicity, gender, year and month of death, weekday of death, place of death, autopsy status, and underlying and multiple cause of death.
- Infant Death (CDC Wonder) This data collection provides counts and rates for deaths of children under 1 year of age, occurring within the United States to U.S. residents. Information from death certificates has been linked to corresponding birth certificates. Data are available by county of mother's residence, child's age, underlying cause of death, gender, birth weight, birth plurality, birth order, gestational age at birth, period of prenatal care, maternal race and ethnicity, maternal age, maternal education and marital status.
- Atlas of United States Mortality (1997) Released to the public on April 14, 1997, this atlas is the first to show all leading causes of death by race and sex for small U.S. geographic areas referred to as Health Service Areas (HSA’s). The 18 causes of death included in this atlas account for 83 percent of all deaths in the United States during 1988-92. In addition to maps with age-adjusted death rates for each HSA, the atlas includes maps that compare each HSA rate to the national rate, smoothed maps for each cause that show the broad geographic patterns at selected ages, and a chart with regional rates for each cause of death.
- Historical Statistics of the United States Historical Statistics of the United States is a standard source for data on all aspects of American history. Vol. 1 (Population) contains historical mortality data in Chapter Ab, "Vital Statistics"
- Maternal Vulnerability (Surgo Ventures) Maternal Vulnerability Index and Maternal Mortality Ratio for US counties and states
- mortality -- United States -- statistics Find government documents, books, and more
COVID-19 Data
- Understanding America Study: Understanding Coronavirus in America (USC) The USC Center for Economic and Social Research's Understanding Coronavirus in America tracking survey is updated daily with the responses of members of our population-representative Understanding America Study. Each panel member is invited to respond on a pre-assigned day of the week every other week. Each data point represents a full sample of responses from the previous seven days*. The graphs are updated just after 3am PDT every day of the week. Use the tabs to view results from the California sample, or from our Los Angeles County sample, to learn more about our survey methods, or to access the data files used to create the graphics on this site. Use the context menu at the upper right of each graph to download the graphic file.
- The Opportunity Insights Economic Tracker: Supporting the Recovery from COVID-19 Track the economic impacts of COVID-19 on people, businesses, and communities across the United States in real time.
- The COVID Racial Data Tracker The COVID Racial Data Tracker was a collaboration between the COVID Tracking Project and the Boston University Center for Antiracist Research. Together, they were gathering the most complete and up-to-date race and ethnicity data on COVID-19 in the United States. As of March 7, 2021 they are no longer collecting new data.
- Excess Deaths During the Coronavirus Pandemic (NY Times) The New York Times is releasing data that documents the number of deaths from all causes that have occurred during the coronavirus pandemic for 32 countries. We are compiling this time series data from national and municipal health departments, vital statistics offices and other official sources in order to better understand the true toll of the pandemic and provide a record for researchers and the public. As of Jan. 18, 2021 we are no longer updating this excess deaths dataset. We have updated data through the end of 2020 or as far as available.
International Data
- Gateway to Global Aging Data A platform for population survey data on aging around the world
- OECD Health Statistics Find statistics in OECD iLibrary on Mortality
- Human Mortality Database The Human Mortality Database (HMD) was created to provide detailed mortality and population data to researchers, students, journalists, policy analysts, and others interested in the history of human longevity.
- World Mortality Dataset Contains recent “all-cause mortality” counts for 79 countries, aggregated to weekly, monthly, or quarterly totals (depending on availability). The project draws on the Human Mortality Database, EuroStat, and data collected by the New York Times (DIP 2020.05.27); and expands upon it by gathering data from government websites and through direct inquiries.
- The Top 10 Causes of Death (WHO) Of the 56.9 million deaths worldwide in 2016, more than half (54%) were due to the top 10 causes. Ischaemic heart disease and stroke are the world’s biggest killers, accounting for a combined 15.2 million deaths in 2016. These diseases have remained the leading causes of death globally in the last 15 years.
- World Bank Open Data Free and open access to global development data
- World Bank: Gender Data Portal The Gender Data Portal is the World Bank Group’s comprehensive source for the latest sex-disaggregated data and gender statistics covering demography, education, health, access to economic opportunities, public life and decision-making, and agency.
- World Bank: Health Stats HealthStats is the World Bank’s portal to its comprehensive collection of Health, Nutrition and Population (HNP) statistics. It includes over 250 indicators on topics such as health financing and the health workforce;
- World Health Data Platform (WHO) Explore WHO's key data tools, data sets and databases.
- World Health Statistics data visualizations dashboard World health statistics 2019 summarizes recent trends and levels in life expectancy and causes of death, and reports on the health and health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and associated targets. Where possible, the 2019 report disaggregates data by WHO region, World Bank income group, and sex; it also discusses differences in health status and access to preventive and curative services, particularly in relation to differences between men and women.
Featured Resources
A recent GAO Report shows the link between income and mortality in the United States. Below is one chart from that report:
Retirement Security: Income and Wealth Disparities Continue Through Old Age (GAO, August 2019)
