Legal Definitions - vital statistics

Definition: Vital statistics are public records that are required by law to be kept by a city, state, or other government division or subdivision. These records usually relate to important events such as births, marriages, deaths, and diseases.

Examples:

• A birth certificate issued by a hospital
• A death certificate issued by a coroner's office
• A marriage license issued by a county clerk's office
• A report of a disease outbreak filed by a public health department

These examples illustrate how vital statistics are records that document important life events and health information. They are kept by government agencies to help track and monitor population trends, as well as to provide individuals with official documentation of these events.