What is defined as the number of deaths per 1,000 people per year?

The number of deaths per 1,000 people per year is known as the death rate. This metric is crucial in demography as it helps in understanding the mortality level of a population and can indicate the overall health status of an area. The death rate is typically expressed as a ratio and provides insights into potential public health challenges, aging populations, and the effectiveness of healthcare systems within a community.

The birth rate, in contrast, measures the number of live births in a year for every 1,000 people, and does not directly relate to mortality. The natural increase rate combines both the birth rate and the death rate to describe population change over time, which is not a single measurement of mortality. Population growth rate reflects the overall increase or decrease in a population, taking into account births, deaths, and migration, making it distinct from simply measuring deaths. Therefore, the death rate specifically and directly answers the question regarding mortality within a population.