Vital Statistics – The Biography of a People

The most common sources of vital statistics data are vital birth records, marriage, divorce and death records, as well as hospital health reports.

In its most general sense, vital statistics refer to data or records concerning births, deaths, marriages, divorce, health, and morbidity in a specific government jurisdiction.

Vital statistics can also encompass demographic data regarding child births, infant mortality, and induced termination of pregnancy, among others. Vital statistic records are compiled and published by the National Center for Health Statistics, a division of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but can also be obtained from state heath departments and county health departments. Vital statistics data are often used to evaluate the effectiveness of public health programs of the government. 

Vital statistics records are open to the public and can be accessed either by requesting it from the records office or ordering them through online agencies specializing in processing vital birth records, marriage records, and death records. In many cases however, your location, state or county determines where you can get vital statistics records.

What Comprises Vital Statistics Records

Vital Birth Records. Often in the form of birth certificates, vital birth records contain all relevant information concerning an individual’s birth including details like the number of children in the family and the child’s birth order in the brood. Most birth records are guarded by privacy laws and are not easily accessible.

Marriage Records. There are 3 basic kinds of civil marriage record – marriage license, marriage register, and marriage certificate.

Among the three, marriage licenses provide the most valuable vital statistics information since they contain the names, ages, residences, nationality, birth dates, and occupation of the couple involved. Marriage records can also provide you with the maiden name of your female ancestors.

A marriage license is not a proof of marriage however. Many couples have been known to obtain marriage licenses without pushing through with the actual ceremony. Marriage registers and certificates, on the other hand, contain basic and limited vital statistics data about the couple and the person who performed the marriage. Marriage records provide clues regarding the legitimacy of a union in the family ancestry.

Divorce Records, on the other hand, can come in the form of a divorce decree and/or a divorce certificate. If the divorce took place before January 1, 1963, a divorce decree is the only vital statistics record available. Divorce decrees highlight the terms and conditions of the separation and can be obtained from the county clerk.

Later cases of divorce or those after January 1, 1963 come with divorce certificates. A divorce certificate simply states fundamental data about the husband and wife as well as the date and place where the divorce took place. Divorce certificates can be obtained by both parties as well as anyone with a court order.

Death Records. A death certificate is a government-issued document stating the name, date and place, and even cause of a person’s death. Death records are useful in genealogy since they are the most recent and often more readily available vital statistics record of an ancestor. They can also be used in courts whenever causes of death need to be determined or confirmed.

Vital statistics records are basically a compilation of demographic and statistical facts, which can be used for almost any endeavour requiring factual evidence or substantiation. In a sense, they are the modern caveman’s way of recording the history of his existence.

Learn more about vital records by visiting the RecordsSiteReview’s Birth Records section.