Abstracts

The current status of civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems in Asia and the Pacific is described in this paper. Civil registration is an administrative system for recording the occurrence and characteristics of vital events (notably births and deaths). It provides individuals with the documentation needed to establish legal identity and family relationships, exercise civil rights, access services and participate in modern societies. In addition, records of vital events from civil registration are a key source of vital statistics on fertility and mortality, and they provide the backbone for efficient public administration.