[Pneumonia mortality in Italy over a 26-year period (1951-1976)].

During the period 1951-1976 the annual mortality rate due to pneumonia decreased from about 60 deaths/100.000 to about 26 deaths/100.000. By studying the pattern of mortality in relation to the age of population, it is shown that pneumonia deaths in the elder group (greater than 60 year-old) progressively diminished from 1951 (266/100.000) to 1966 (125/100.000). After this year mortality rates showed to stabilize their levels. Pneumonia mortality among people with age between 0-5 years and 5-60 years showed a progressive decline during all the period here examined. At this time elder people seem to contribute to more than 80% of mortality from pneumonia in Italy.