MIKE STOBBE writes for the ASSOCIATED PRESS (via ABC NEWS):
U.S. deaths surpassed 2.5 million for the first time last year, reflecting the nation’s growing and aging population.
The increase of about 45,000 more deaths than in 2010 was not surprising. The annual number of deaths has been generally rising for decades as the population has swelled.
“If you have an older population, of course you have more deaths,” said Qian Cai, a University of Virginia demographer who studies population trends. “That doesn’t mean the population is less healthy or less vital.”
Before last year, the largest number of deaths was 2.47 million in 2008. The number of deaths can jump up or down from year to year, depending on whether there was a bad flu season or other factors. READ MORE.