A new vital records law and rules are in effect that changed the requirements for requesting vital records data.
For increased security of personal and sensitive information, a data sharing agreement (DSA) is required for all vital records data, including death data. There are new fees for data files, analysis, and data requests. Each application will be reviewed and vetted for compliance to laws and regulations. Sample Data Sharing Agreement
Government agencies and Tribal governments may receive birth and fetal death record data with direct identifiers for non-research public health work by signing a DSA.
For more information, visit the Data Request FAQ page.
- Interact with charts, maps, and graphs
- Export the data as a spreadsheet.
Note: The Center for Health Statistics will no longer update Washington State resident death Excel tables. We now display the Excel table information on the data visualization dashboards.
Infant deaths are defined as deaths of children under one year of age. Information from birth and death certificates is combined to produce records of all infant deaths occurring in the state. Birth certificates of children born out of state who die in Washington State as well as death certificates of children born in Washington state who die out of state are obtained through voluntary cooperative agreements with other states' vital records offices.
Infant death data is collected and analyzed into data tables by the department. These data tables can be used to assess issues related to cause of infant death and risk factors for infant death.
A Data Sharing Agreement (DSA) is required to access all vital records data, now including death data. Sample Data Sharing Agreement
How to purchase files
These are record level data files. Working with these data files requires use of spreadsheet, database management, or statistical software that are not provided.
A DSA documents the conditions under which the Department of Health shares limited datasets containing potentially identifiable information with outside entities. By signing the DSA, the recipient(s) of the data agrees to not link information with any other information that could identify an individual or use the information to contact any individuals. Data may not be disclosed unless agreed upon in the DSA. Establishing a DSA takes approximately 3 weeks. Sample Data Sharing Agreement
Data Files available for purchase
Linked Birth- Infant Death Files (1981 to 2018)
Information from the medical and statistical section of the birth certificate linked to death certificate data for infants less than 1 year of age. Only annual files available.
Data Dictionary 1981-2015 (Word)
Infant Death Data Dictionary and Crosswalks (Excel)
- Vital Statistics Technical Notes (PDF) provides more information about all vital statistics data, including data quality and recommended uses.
- 2010-2020 Highlights – Vital Statistics Factsheet (PDF)
- Overview Table (Excel) provides a historical context for interpreting vital statistics in Washington State from 1910 through 2020. This table shows live births, deaths, infant deaths, and fetal deaths for Washington residents.
Data Tables
Infant death data tables have been discontinued since 2016 and will be replaced by interactive dashboards. Some tables have been removed due to the need to suppress small numbers per DOH guidelines. All remaining tables will be retired on or about July 1, 2022.
Infant Death Tables by Topic - Includes information on infant death categorized by cause of death, infant weight, and maternal and infant demographic characteristics.
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Our office has these topics: CHARS Data Users, Vital Statistics Data, and BRFSS Data Users.