The life expectation at birth decreased from 62.9 years in 1958 to 60.8 years in 1963. The same phenomenon of negative variation was observed in all ages. The rate of general mortality was 8.6 deaths per thousand inhabitants; it has not changed too much in the last six years. The rate of general mortality was the same for the City of São Paulo and the Interior and the whole state of São Paulo for the past three years; previously, it used to be less than that of these two areas. Among the ten most important causes of death were: heart disease (15.6%); childhood diseases (13.1 %); neoplasias (12.7%) and vascular disturbances of the Central Nervous System (8.8%). São Paulo was in an intermediate position between developed and underdeveloped countries according to the causes of death occurring in its area. The deaths from communicable diseases were 6.7% of the general deaths. The infant mortality rate had been decreasing progressively since 1956 and had reached 60.2 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1961. But from that date on it has increased rapidly, its value being 74.3 per 1,000 live births in 1967. This rise was caused either by neo-natal or post-neo-natal infant mortality. The majority of births (51.9%) in 1965 occurred at home.
