The United Nations Population Fund reports that South Sudan has the highest maternal mortality rate in the world.

BBC: Viewpoint: South Sudan has not lived up to the hype

Whale researchers use population models that factor a species' reproductive rate and its natural mortality to come up with an estimate of how many are likely dying.

MSN: Feds to reroute SF Bay ships to protect whales

It reported that they were more likely to be poor and that their infant mortality rate was half as high again as that of the rest of the population.

ECONOMIST: Black Colombians suffer ��structural discrimination��

Although the mortality rate is predicted to continue declining, due to a growing and ageing population the number of deaths is expected to rise to about 182, 000 deaths by 2025.

BBC: 13,000 cancer deaths 'can be prevented'

In terms of mortality rate, which considers flu deaths in terms of a nation's population, Brazil ranks seventh, and the United States is 13th, the Brazilian Ministry of Health said in a news release Wednesday.

CNN: Brazil tops worldwide H1N1 deaths, officials say

In this case, fully a fifth of the U.S. population will be over age 65 inside of two decades, and whatever the other marvels of modern medicine, the mortality rate remains 100%.

WSJ: Review & Outlook: Death Panels Revisited