NOTE: These graphs are updated weekly. See last updated date below each graph.
Cumulative NCHS Provisional Deaths by Age (0-17)
Time Series Graphs of NCHS Provisional Deaths (0-17): Covid-Associated Deaths
Sources of Pediatric Mortality Data
NCHS (National Center for Health Statistics): This is based on death certificates submitted to the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) by the states, so there is a lag of at least 1-2 weeks, but up to 4-6 weeks (sometimes more) for pediatric death data to be processed. There are may different visualizations and data downloads for this data (see table below). The NCHS data includes deaths where Covid is listed anywhere on the death certificate. For about 25% of pediatric deaths, Covid is on the death certificate, but not listed as the underlying cause of death. This data is updated weekly.
CDC WONDER Provisional Mortality Statistics: This is another CDC database of mortality data based on death certificates submitted to the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS), but it includes more detail on causes of death and more options for searching, filtering, and breaking down the cause of death data. However, it is only updated monthly, so it has a greater lag than the NCHS data sources. Due to its complexity and level of detail, it’s also not as user-friendly as the NCHS data sources. It allows you to filter for pediatric deaths based on whether it’s the underlying cause of death vs another multiple cause of death (to filter out the 25+% of pediatric Covid deaths that have a different underlying cause).
CDC COVID Data Tracker – Demographic Trends: This is based on preliminary surveillance data submitted by states of deaths among Covid cases. However, it is inaccurate. It significantly overcounts pediatric deaths and undercounts adult deaths. It has had multiple corrections, but the data is still not accurate. It is updated weekly, on Thursday evenings. Read more about the accuracy issues with the Data Tracker.
| Data Source | Age buckets for children | Download | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| NCHS Provisional Deaths by month or year, jurisdiction of occurrence, sex and age – RECOMMENDED | 0-17 Years | Download | Table view, easy to filter |
| NCHS Provisional Death Counts for Influenza, Pneumonia, and COVID-19 by week | 0-17 Years | Download | Weekly pediatric time series, but download only |
| NCHS Provisional Deaths by week, sex, and age | <1 1-4 5-14 15-24 | Download | Graph view over time, age groupings not ideal |
| NCHS Provisional Deaths by sex, race/ethnicity, and age | 0-5 5-18 | Download | Download only; incl.18 year-olds (not pediatric) |
| NCHS Provisional Deaths by age in years | 0-5 months 6-11 months 1-17 years (each individual year) | Download | Download only; allows granular data by year |
| CDC WONDER Provisional Mortality Statistics, 2018 through last month | various options incl. single years | Not as user-friendly | |
| CDC COVID Data Tracker – Demographic Trends – NOT RECOMMENDED | 0-4 Years 5-11 Years 12-15 Years 16-17 Years | Surveillance data; flawed (overcounts pediatric deaths) |