• Hsiang-Ching Kung, Donna L Hoyert, Jiaquan Xu, and Sherry L Murphy.
• Division of Vital Statistics, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hyattsville, MD 20782, USA.
• Natl Vital Stat Rep. 2008 Apr 24; 56 (10): 1-120.

ObjectivesThis report presents final 2005 data on U.S. deaths, death rates, life expectancy, infant and maternal mortality, and trends by selected characteristics such as age, sex, Hispanic origin, race, marital status, educational attainment, injury at work, state of residence, and cause of death.MethodsThis report presents descriptive tabulations of information reported on death certificates, which are completed by funeral directors, attending physicians, medical examiners, and coroners. The original records are filed in the state registration offices. Statistical information is compiled into a national database through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). Causes of death are processed in accordance with the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10).ResultsIn 2005, a total of 2,448,017 deaths were reported in the United States. The age-adjusted death rate was 798.8 deaths per 100,000 standard population, representing a decrease of 0.2 percent from the 2004 rate and a record low historical figure. Life expectancy at birth remained the same as that in 2004-77.8 years. Age-specific death rates decreased for the age group 65-74 years but increased for the age groups 15-24 years, 25-34 years, and 45-54 years. The 15 leading causes of death in 2005 remained the same as in 2004. Heart disease and cancer continued to be the leading and second leading causes of death, together accounting for almost one-half of all deaths. The infant mortality rate in 2005 was 6.87 deaths per 1,000 live births.ConclusionsGenerally, mortality patterns in 2005, such as the age-adjusted death rate declining to a record historical low, were consistent with long-term trends. Life expectancy in 2005 remained the same as that in 2004.

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