National Death Index of the United States 2025
The National Death Index (NDI) stands as America’s most comprehensive centralized database for mortality information, serving as an indispensable resource for public health researchers and medical investigators nationwide. Established through collaboration between the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) and state vital statistics offices, the NDI connects public health and medical researchers with U.S. death records, eliminating the need for researchers to work through multiple jurisdictions to access critical mortality data for their study participants.
In 2025, the NDI continues to function as the backbone of mortality research in the United States, facilitating thousands of epidemiological studies and contributing to our understanding of disease patterns, treatment outcomes, and public health interventions. The system is available only to researchers for statistical purposes in public health and medical studies, and is not available for use by organizations or the general public for any non-statistical purposes, including personal losses, legal, administrative, or genealogical purposes. This restriction ensures that the vast database remains focused on its primary mission of advancing scientific knowledge and improving public health outcomes.
Facts About the National Death Index in the US 2025
| Fact Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Total Records | More than 115 million death records |
| Coverage Period | Death records from 1979 to current |
| Geographic Coverage | 50 states, District of Columbia, New York City, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands |
| Latest Final File | NDI Final File for 2023 is now available for searching |
| Early Release | NDI Early Release File for 2024 is now available for searching |
| Military Records | Out-of-country deaths of U.S. military personnel (since 1979) |
| Funding Model | Fully funded through user fees; receives no appropriated funds |
| Data Release Timeline | Final NDI file for a calendar year becomes available 12 or more months after the end of that year |
| 2022 Total Deaths | 3,279,857 deaths recorded in the United States |
| 2022 Death Rate | 984.1 deaths per 100,000 population |
| Life Expectancy 2022 | 77.5 years |
| Infant Mortality Rate 2022 | 5.60 deaths per 1,000 live births |
| Drug Overdose Deaths 2024 | 80,391 estimated deaths (26.9% decrease from 2023) |
| Gold Standard Status | NDI is recognized as the gold standard for mortality data in the United States |
The Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) continues to serve as the foundational framework for all import tariff classifications in 2025. With 13 revisions already issued this year, the system reflects a highly adaptive approach to global trade shifts and federal policy updates. Administered by the Office of Tariff Affairs and Trade Agreements, HTS revisions are published semi-annually, ensuring up-to-date compliance with global trade rules. Data accessibility has also been enhanced, with CSV, Excel, and JSON formats available for seamless integration into business and government platforms.
This classification system underpins more than $4.2 trillion in U.S. annual trade, enabling precise tariff assessments on thousands of goods. With a comprehensive archive spanning from 1989 to the present, the HTS supports not only current trade but also historical analysis and policymaking. The HTS code system includes levels from general 2-digit chapters to detailed 10-digit statistical codes, enabling exact tracking of goods, enforcement of trade laws, and support for international agreements like USMCA. These enhancements make HTS a critical tool for customs efficiency, regulatory oversight, and economic insight into global trade flows.
Leading Causes of Death Data Integration with the National Death Index in the US 2025
| Leading Cause of Death (2022) | Number of Deaths | Percentage of Total Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| Heart disease | 702,880 | 21.4% |
| Cancer | 608,371 | 18.5% |
| Accidents (unintentional injuries) | 227,039 | 6.9% |
| COVID-19 | 186,552 | 5.7% |
| Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases) | 165,393 | 5.0% |
| Chronic lower respiratory diseases | 147,382 | 4.5% |
| Alzheimer’s disease | 120,122 | 3.7% |
| Diabetes | 101,209 | 3.1% |
| Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis | 57,937 | 1.8% |
| Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis | 54,803 | 1.7% |
| Total Deaths (2022) | 3,279,857 | 100% |
The National Death Index serves as the foundational data source for tracking leading causes of death across the United States, providing researchers with access to comprehensive mortality statistics that inform public health policy and medical research initiatives. The 2022 data reveals that heart disease remains the leading cause of death with 702,880 deaths, representing 21.4% of all deaths, followed by cancer with 608,371 deaths accounting for 18.5% of total mortality. This data integration capability allows researchers to conduct longitudinal studies examining mortality trends across different disease categories and demographic groups.
The significance of the NDI’s role in mortality surveillance becomes particularly evident when examining the total of 3,279,857 deaths recorded in 2022, representing a death rate of 984.1 deaths per 100,000 population. These statistics demonstrate the vast scope of mortality data managed by the NDI system and underscore its critical importance in supporting epidemiological research. The inclusion of COVID-19 as the fourth leading cause of death with 186,552 deaths illustrates how the NDI adapts to track emerging health threats and provides researchers with timely access to mortality data for public health response efforts.
Drug Overdose Death Trends Through the National Death Index in the US 2025
| Year | Drug Overdose Deaths | Change from Previous Year |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 110,037 estimated deaths | Baseline year |
| 2024 | 80,391 estimated deaths | 26.9% decrease |
| Projected 2025 | Lowest level since 2019 | Continued decline expected |
The National Death Index plays a crucial role in tracking drug overdose mortality trends, providing researchers and public health officials with essential data for understanding and addressing the ongoing overdose crisis. Provisional data from the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics indicate there were an estimated 80,391 drug overdose deaths in the United States during 2024—a decrease of 26.9% from the 110,037 deaths estimated in 2023. This significant decline represents a major public health achievement and demonstrates the effectiveness of interventions implemented across the nation.
The geographic distribution of overdose death decreases reveals important patterns that researchers can analyze using NDI data. Almost all states across the nation saw decreases; Louisiana, Michigan, New Hampshire, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin and Washington, D.C., experienced declines of 35% or more. However, the data also shows areas requiring continued attention, as South Dakota and Nevada had slight increases compared to the same period in 2023. This state-by-state variation in overdose mortality trends demonstrates the value of the NDI’s comprehensive geographic coverage in identifying regional patterns and informing targeted interventions.
NCHS Data Linkage Programs Through the National Death Index in the US 2025
| Survey Program | Linkage Period | Research Applications |
|---|---|---|
| National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) | 1986 – 2018 | Health factor association studies |
| National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) | 1999-2018 | Nutritional and health outcome research |
| Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey | Available | Longitudinal health studies |
| Linked Mortality Files (LMF) | Updated through December 31, 2019 | Comprehensive outcome studies |
NCHS has linked data from various surveys with death certificate records from the National Death Index (NDI). Linkage of the NCHS survey participant data with the NDI mortality data provides the opportunity to conduct a vast array of outcome studies designed to investigate the association of a wide variety of health factors with mortality. This data linkage capability represents one of the most powerful applications of the NDI, enabling researchers to connect detailed health survey information with mortality outcomes for comprehensive epidemiological analysis.
The scope of research enabled by these linkage programs extends across multiple domains of public health investigation. The Linked Mortality Files (LMF) have been updated with mortality follow-up data through December 31, 2019, providing researchers with access to longitudinal data that spans decades of health surveillance. These linkage programs support investigations into the association between health factors and mortality outcomes, enabling evidence-based public health policy development and clinical practice improvements. The combination of detailed survey data with comprehensive mortality information from the NDI creates unique research opportunities that would be impossible to achieve through either data source alone.
Research Applications of the National Death Index in the US 2025
| Research Area | Application Examples |
|---|---|
| Cancer Research | Survival time among people with health conditions like cancer and heart disease |
| Occupational Health | Mortality risk among certain occupations like radiologists, pesticide applicators, and auto workers |
| Surgical Outcomes | Life expectancy after surgeries from procedures like gastric bypass and bone marrow transplant |
| Nutritional Epidemiology | Impact of dietary factors—like drinking alcohol or coffee, taking vitamins, and consuming dietary fats—on risk of death |
| Healthcare Research | Relationships between healthcare and mortality, like the effects of types of health care on survival times |
| Vulnerable Populations | Mortality among groups whose conditions or circumstances increase the risk of poor health outcomes, like children and adolescents with developmental disabilities, people released from prison, and people living in poverty |
| Gold Standard Validation | NDI serves as the gold standard for mortality data validation studies |
| Social Epidemiology | Investigation of how social factors influence health outcomes and mortality patterns |
The diverse applications of the National Death Index in medical and public health research demonstrate its critical role in advancing scientific understanding across multiple disciplines. NDI has helped to determine whether participants in thousands of studies have died, enabling researchers to conduct comprehensive mortality follow-up studies that would otherwise be impossible or prohibitively expensive. The National Death Index (NDI) is the gold standard for mortality data in the United States (US), providing researchers with the most reliable and comprehensive mortality information available.
Cancer research represents one of the most significant beneficiaries of NDI data, with researchers utilizing the system to track survival times among people with health conditions like cancer and heart disease. This application has been instrumental in evaluating treatment effectiveness, identifying prognostic factors, and understanding long-term outcomes for cancer patients across different demographic groups and treatment modalities. Similarly, occupational health researchers have leveraged NDI data to assess mortality risks among specific occupations, including radiologists, pesticide applicators, and auto workers, contributing to workplace safety improvements and occupational health standards. Social epidemiology seeks in part to understand how social factors–ideas, beliefs, attitudes, actions, and social connections–influence health, and the NDI provides the mortality outcome data necessary for these investigations.
Data Sources and Collection Methods for the National Death Index in the US 2025
| Data Source Component | Description |
|---|---|
| State Submissions | States and territories submit death certificate data to NCHS through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program |
| Primary Coverage | Death records from 1979‒current for the 50 states, the District of Columbia, New York City, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands |
| Limited Coverage | Records from select years for Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands |
| Belated Records | Belated records submitted after that year’s data file has closed (when available) |
The data collection methodology underlying the National Death Index reflects a sophisticated collaborative effort between federal and state agencies to ensure comprehensive mortality surveillance. States and territories submit death certificate data to NCHS through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program, creating a standardized system for mortality data collection that maintains both consistency and completeness across all participating jurisdictions.
The temporal coverage of the NDI extends from 1979 to the present, providing researchers with access to more than four decades of mortality data. This extensive historical coverage enables longitudinal studies that can track mortality patterns over extended periods, identify emerging health trends, and evaluate the long-term effectiveness of public health interventions. The system’s inclusion of belated records submitted after that year’s data file has closed ensures that even delayed death certificates are eventually incorporated into the database, maintaining the highest possible level of completeness.
NDI Search Services and Data Access in the US 2025
| Service Type | Features |
|---|---|
| Standard NDI Search | Basic mortality matching with essential death information |
| NDI Plus Service | Cause or causes of death information |
| Available Information | State where death occurred, date of death, death certificate number |
| Early Release Program | Makes a specific year’s records available within 1 week or more from the end of that calendar year |
| Final File Processing | NDI Early Release data are changed from preliminary to final within 12 months or more from the end of that year |
The National Death Index provides researchers with multiple service options designed to meet varying research needs and timelines. The standard NDI search service provides essential mortality information, including the state where death occurred, date of death, and death certificate number, enabling researchers to confirm deaths and obtain basic mortality data for their study participants. For more comprehensive research needs, the NDI Plus service offers additional cause-of-death information, allowing researchers to examine specific mortality patterns and disease-related deaths.
The Early Release Program represents a significant advancement in data accessibility, making mortality data available within approximately one week after the end of a calendar year. This rapid data availability is particularly valuable for time-sensitive public health surveillance and research applications that require current mortality information. The system maintains data quality by transitioning Early Release data from preliminary to final status within 12 months, ensuring that researchers have access to both timely and accurate mortality information.
Financial Structure and Cost Analysis of the National Death Index in the US 2025
| Cost Component | Details |
|---|---|
| Funding Model | Fully funded through user fees; receives no appropriated funds |
| Fee Structure | NDI search fees consist of a base service charge, plus an additional fee per user record |
| Service Differentiation | Base service charges are higher for the NDI Plus service |
| Variable Pricing | The additional fee per user record varies by the type of search requested |
| Cost Coverage | User fees have covered all NDI operating expenses since the service was launched |
| State Participation | Jurisdictions also receive a portion of the NDI user fees |
The financial sustainability of the National Death Index operates on a self-supporting model that has proven successful since the system’s inception. NDI is fully funded through user fees and receives no appropriated funds, demonstrating the system’s ability to provide valuable services while maintaining financial independence from federal appropriations. This fee-based structure ensures that the costs of maintaining and operating the extensive database are borne by the researchers and institutions that benefit from its use.
The cost structure reflects the varying complexity and resource requirements of different search types, with base service charges being higher for the NDI Plus service due to the additional processing required to provide cause-of-death information. The variable pricing based on search type ensures that researchers pay appropriately for the level of service they require, making the system accessible to studies with different budgetary constraints while maintaining adequate revenue to support operations. The inclusion of state jurisdictions receiving a portion of NDI user fees creates a collaborative financial model that recognizes the contributions of state vital statistics offices to the overall system.
Quality and Performance Metrics of the National Death Index in the US 2025
| Performance Metric | Benchmark |
|---|---|
| Database Completeness | Most complete source of death information in the United States |
| Record Volume | More than 115 million death records |
| Coverage Reliability | Complete coverage across all 50 states and territories |
| Update Frequency | Annual updates with Early Release options |
| Data Processing | NCHS must receive, process, and edit all death records from all jurisdictions |
| Research Applications | Thousands of studies supported |
The National Death Index maintains exceptional quality standards through rigorous data processing and validation procedures. As the most complete source of death information in the United States, the NDI achieves this status through comprehensive coverage and systematic quality control measures. The system’s reliability stems from its standardized data collection processes, where NCHS must receive, process, and edit all death records from all jurisdictions before incorporating them into the final database.
The database’s more than 115 million death records represent decades of consistent data collection and processing, creating an invaluable resource for mortality research. The system’s proven track record of supporting thousands of studies demonstrates its reliability and utility across diverse research applications. This extensive usage history provides evidence of the NDI’s effectiveness in facilitating high-quality mortality research and its continued relevance to the scientific community.
Future Directions and Enhancements of the National Death Index in the US 2025
The National Death Index continues to evolve to meet the changing needs of the public health research community while maintaining its core mission of providing comprehensive mortality data. The system’s ongoing development focuses on improving data accessibility, expanding coverage options, and enhancing the user experience for researchers conducting mortality studies.
Recent enhancements to the NDI system include the expansion of early release capabilities and improvements to search functionality, reflecting the system’s commitment to staying current with technological advances and user needs. As the landscape of public health research continues to evolve, the NDI remains positioned to serve as a critical infrastructure component supporting evidence-based public health policy and medical research initiatives across the United States.
Disclaimer: The data research report we present here is based on information found from various sources. We are not liable for any financial loss, errors, or damages of any kind that may result from the use of the information herein. We acknowledge that though we try to report accurately, we cannot verify the absolute facts of everything that has been represented.
