^PDeaths reported to the Michigan Vital Records office may be delayed by 7 days. Verifying the cause of death, and processing the records from administrative records may further delay the reports of deaths for statistical purposes. The deaths shown in the deaths columns will be lower than the actual year–to–date total.

Most causes of deaths are not coded immediately after the original death was reported. Lower counts of specific causes of death for more recent months should be considered a result of delayed coding, not a reduction in the counts of deaths themselves. COVID–19 death coding is expedited, and counts may be more complete in comparison to other causes of death.

The underlying cause of death is the condition giving rise to the chain of events leading to death. Starting January 1, 1999, the underlying causes of death were classified in accordance with the Tenth Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD–10), a coding structure developed by the World Health Organization.

Septicemia deaths were classified using ICD–10 codes A40–A41.9.
COVID–19 deaths were classified using ICD–10 U07.1 as underlying cause of death.
Cancer deaths were classified using ICD–10 codes C00–C97.
Diabetes deaths were classified using ICD–10 codes E10-E14.
Heart Disease deaths were classified using ICD–10 codes I00–I09,I11,I13,I20–I51.
Stroke deaths were classified using ICD–10 codes I60–I69.
Atherosclerosis deaths were classified using ICD–10 codes I70.
Between 1999–2008, Influenza and Pneumonia deaths were classified using ICD–10 codes J10–J18. Starting in 2009, Pneumonia and Influenza deaths were classified using ICD–10 codes J09–J18.
Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease deaths were classified using ICD–10 codes J40–J47.