Mortality trends: age,color, and sex United States - 1950-69

The crude death rate for the United States experience d a clear downward trend throughout the first half of this century. It reached a low in 1954 (919.0 deaths per 100,000 population) and then began to level off (figure 1). The rate was relatively stable during 1954-69 with the exception of fluctuations associated for the most part with epidemics of influenza. For the severe influenza epidemic year of 196 8-with peaks of mortality at both the beginning and end of the year-a high point of 965.7 deaths per 100,000 population was reached. The rate then dropped back for 1969 (951.9 deaths per 100,000) to about the same level recorded for 1966.