Birth rates in Arkansas have, like those across the rest of the United States, generally declined since the mid-20th century, reflecting a trend toward smaller families, begun later in the parents' life.
| Year |
# of births |
# per 1,000 population |
1950 |
45,699 |
23.4 |
1970 |
35,457 |
18.4 |
1990 |
36,440 |
15.5 |
1999 |
36,670 |
14.4 |
County with most births, 1999: Pulaski (5,513; rate per 1,000: 15.25)
County with fewest births, 1999: Calhoun (54; rate per 1,000: 9.4)
| Births to Mothers less than 20 years old, 1980-1999 |
| Year |
# of births |
% of total births in state |
| 1980 |
8036 |
21.5 |
| 1990 |
7174 |
19.68 |
| 1999 |
6526 |
17.06 |
Mortality
| year |
# of deaths |
rate (# per 100,000 pop.) |
rate, non-whites |
| 1950 |
15,301 |
881.3 |
1,006.1 |
| 1970 |
20,668 |
1,074.6 |
1,211.6 |
| 1990 |
24,588 |
1,046 |
1,035.4 |
| 1999 |
27,934 |
1,094.9 |
937.8 |
The Arkansas Way(s) of Death
Heart attacks, cancers and strokes lead the pack of Arkansans' mortal enemies. A relatively high rating for accidents and adverse effects may reflect Arkansan enjoyment of high-risk behaviors; anecdotal evidence points to lax workplace and recreational safety as contributing factors to the high "accidents" toll. On the other hand, Arkansans commit suicide at a markedly lower rate than does the nation at large.
Leading Causes of Death in Arkansas, 1998, ranked, with national rankings for comparison.
| Cause of Death |
AR total |
rank |
rank, national |
| Heart disease |
8,431 |
1 |
1 |
| Malignancies (cancers) |
5,950 |
2 |
2 |
| Cerebrovascular (stroke) |
2,344 |
3 |
3 |
| Accidents/adverse effects |
1,296 |
4 |
6 |
| Chronic Pulmonary |
1,236 |
5 |
4 |
| Pneumonia/Influenza |
1,096 |
6 |
5 |
| Diabetes mellitus |
644 |
7 |
7 |
| Kidney diseases |
393 |
8 |
9 |
| Septicæmia |
358 |
9 |
11 |
| Suicide |
344 |
10 |
8 |
| Homicide/"Legal" Interv. |
232 |
11 |
13 |
| Alzheimer's Disease |
231 |
12 |
12 |
| Liver disease/cirrhosis |
203 |
13 |
10 |
| Atherosclerosis |
150 |
14 |
14 |
| Perinatal conditions |
127 |
15 |
- (not in top 15) |
| Hypertension |
125 |
- (not top 15) |
15 |
| All other causes |
4,292 |
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