1 Pan American Sanitary Bureau, World Health Organization
For the first time in 3 years it is gratifying to note that the infant mortality in the United States has not increased. The estimated rate for 1959, 26.4, was about 2% lower than the 1958 rate of 26.9 and is at the same level as the 1957 rate. Low point thus far for the United States was in 1956, when the rate was 26.0.
There was relatively little change in the other important ratesbirths, deaths and marriages. The natural increase in the population, that is births (including an estimate for those unregistered) minus deaths, was 2,632,000, giving a rate of increase of 14.9 per 1,000 population, essentially the same as the 1958 rate of 15.0.