Death rate

Death rate is a term used in epidemiology to describe the number of deaths in a particular population, scaled to the size of that population, per unit of time. It is also known as mortality rate.

Definition

The death rate, technically known as the mortality rate, is a measure of the number of deaths (in general, or due to a specific cause) in a particular population, scaled to the size of that population, per unit of time. Mortality rate is typically expressed in units of deaths per 1,000 individuals per year; thus, a mortality rate of 9.5 (out of 1,000) in a population of 1,000 would mean 9.5 deaths per year in that entire population, or 0.95% out of the total.

Calculation

The death rate is calculated by dividing the number of deaths by the total population, and then multiplying the result by 1,000. This gives the number of deaths per 1,000 people in the population. For example, if a population of 10,000 people experiences 100 deaths in a year, the death rate would be (100/10,000) * 1,000 = 10 deaths per 1,000 people.

Types of Death Rates

There are several specific types of death rates, including:

• Crude death rate - The total number of deaths per year per 1,000 people.
• Age-specific death rate - The total number of deaths per year per 1,000 people of a given age.
• Cause-specific death rate - The mortality rate for a specified cause of death.
• Infant mortality rate - The death rate for children less than 1 year of age.
• Child mortality rate - The death rate for children under the age of 5.

Factors Influencing Death Rate

Several factors can influence the death rate of a population. These include the population's age distribution, its access to healthcare, its socioeconomic status, and the prevalence of diseases in the population.

See Also

• Life expectancy
• Morbidity rate
• Population health
• Epidemiology

Death rate Resources
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