Death Records, Leading Causes of Death

Purpose

To register deaths occurring in Rhode Island and to Rhode Island residents whenever the death occurs.

Key Information

Cause of death, and basic demographics for all people who die in Rhode Island and Rhode Island residents who die out-of-state.

Collection Period

Ongoing, data collected since 1983. Preliminary data on deaths occurring in Rhode Island are available within one year after the end of the calendar year. Final data, including out-of-state deaths of Rhode Island residents, are available no sooner than 2 years after the end of the calendar year.

How data are collected

Funeral Directors report the data to the Office of Vital Records. They obtain the cause of death from attending physicians.

Rhode Island Numbers

10 Leading Causes of Death, 2016