Vital statistics, 1988. (National Center for Health Statistics provisional data)

Vital Statistics, 1988

According to provisional data for 1988 collected by the National Center for Health Statistics, the birth and death rates per 1,000 population were higher than comparable rates for the previous year in the U.S., the divorce rate remained the same, and the marriage rate decreased.

The 1988 provisional total of 3,913,000 births - two percent more than the 1987 provisional total - is the largest number reported since 1964, while the birth rate of 15.9 births per 1,000 population was one percent higher than the 1987 rate. The two percent increase in the number of births is attributed to the two percent increase in the fertility rate, which …