Mortality Atlas

NOTE: The Atlases on FLHealthCHARTS provide maps, graphs, and some data tables in a dashboard format. This takes more computer resources than other FLHealthCHARTS products. When the Atlases are being accessed by several people at the same time the content may not load and you will receive errors. Please return to the Atlases at a later time when you experience this issue.

The Florida Mortality Atlas provides a visual display of the most recent leading causes of death in Florida. Age groups are divided into roughly ten year increments to display the difference in the top five leading causes of death. Causes of death are presented for the total population as well as whites, blacks, and Hispanics. Additionally, a breakdown of each cause of death also shows the difference by age and sex. Maps are color coded to show which areas of the state have highest and lowest rates for the selected cause of death. Counties with the darkest color represent the highest age-adjusted death rates and those with the lightest color represent the lowest age-adjusted death rates.

Age-adjusted death rates remove the difference between populations due to differences in age composition. Using age-adjusted rates is a common practice that makes it possible to compare rates across populations. Age-adjusted rates are calculated using the US 2000 Standard Population.

Data for 1970-78, 1979-98, and 1999-present are not fully comparable due to changes in coding causes of death. Consequently, increases or decreases in 1979 and 1999 may not be due to changes in disease trends but rather coding changes.

The sources of data for the Florida Mortality Atlas are the Florida Department of Health’s Bureau of Vital Statistics (deaths) and the Florida Legislature Office of Economic and Demographic Research (population).

                 
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Floridians today are expected to live 9.1 years longer (80.1 years) than they were in 1970 (71.0 years). This is documented by a decline in Florida’s age-adjusted death rate from 1,130.5 per 100,000 persons in 1970 to 665.6 per 100,000 persons in 2019.

In 2019, 206,975 Florida residents died. The overall age adjusted death rate (AADR) in 2019 was 665.6 compared to 1,130.5 in 1970, a change of 41%. The gap between age-adjusted death rates of blacks and whites has diminished, but blacks continue to experience a higher rate. Blacks have experienced a 51% decline in AADR since 1970 compared to a 39% decline among whites. The black AADR was 751.7 in 2019 compared to 1548.3 in 1970 whereas the white AADR was 659.1 in 2019 compared to 1074.3 in 2019. The Hispanic age-adjusted death rate has been measured since 2004. The Hispanic age-adjusted death rate has decreased from 592.0 per 100,000 persons in 2004 to 503.6 per 100,000 persons in 2019.

The highest age-adjusted rates for the total, white, and black populations were located in North Florida counties. Among the Hispanic population, the highest age-adjusted rates were dispersed throughout the state.