Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
Mortality is the measure of the number of deaths in a given population, location, or other grouping of interest within a specific time frame. It is often used to assess the overall health and well-being of a society.
Related terms
Morbidity: The condition of being diseased or the incidence of illness in a population.
Life expectancy: The average period that an individual is expected to live based on demographic factors such as their current age, gender, and health status.
Infant mortality rate: A measure of the number of deaths of infants under one year old per 1,000 live births in a given year