The Danish registers of causes of death

In 1875 registration of causes of death in Denmark was established by the N ational Board of Health. and annual statistics of death have since been pub lished. Until 1970 the national statistics were based upon punched cards wi th data collected from the death certificates. Since then the register has been fully computerized and includes individual based data of all deaths oc curring among all residents in Denmark dying in Denmark. Furthermore, a mic rofilm of all death certificates from 1943 and onward is kept in the Nation al Board of Health. The Danish Institute for Clinical Epidemiology (DICE) h as established a computerized register of individual records of deaths in D enmark from 1943 and onwards. No other country covers computerized individu al based data of death registration for such a long period, now 54 years. T his paper describes the history of the registers, the data sources and acce ss to data, and the research based upon the resisters, presenting some exam ples of research activities.