The National Center for Health Statistics has a mission to provide statistics and data that can guide public policies and actions. Its goal is to improve the health of Americans. It is the United States’ principal health statistics agency.¹

The NCHS website provides access to many health statistics sources including published reports, data briefs on specific topics, and public-use data files. For example:

• Health, United States is a report on national trends in health statistics. It includes detailed tables and charts on selected measures of morbidity, mortality, health status, risk factors, and health care use, among other topics.
• FastStats is a site within the NCHS website that offers quick and easy access to statistics on specific health topics, from diseases and conditions to health care and insurance.
• National Health Interview Survey: Interactive Data Query Systems is a web-based application giving access to pre-tabulated national data on a vast array of public health indicators over time. This tool allows users to customize tables by age, gender, race/ethnicity, and geographic location.
• The National Vital Statistics System provides access to the Nation’s official vital statistics, including births, deaths, marriages, and divorces. The webpage features links to statistical reports, training and instruction, and downloadable data files.