This presentation discusses how vital statistics can be used to assess nutritional status. Vital statistics are defined as data on births, deaths, illnesses and rates calculated from this data. Mortality rates like maternal mortality rate and infant mortality rate are indirect indicators of community nutritional status. Morbidity rates like incidence and prevalence rates can also provide information. Vital statistics data is obtained from surveys, censuses, registers and records. While vital statistics are easy to interpret, accurate collection of local data can sometimes be challenging.