What are mortality rates?
Mortality rates are based on counts of the number of deaths occurring in a population group divided by the total number of people in that group. These numbers are then converted to reflect rates of death per 100,000 people (per 1,000 births for infants). We report rates based on the most recent 3-year period for which data are available nationally: 2002-2004 (except for education of infants’ mothers, 2000-2002). The mortality rates are adjusted for age (except the rates for infants and older adults by education).