Founded by the Ministry of Health in 1998, the Epidemiological Statistical Mortality System (SEED) provides preliminary cause of death data for Mexico. The data are based on death certificates and deaths are coded according to ICD-10 standards. The microdata contain the following variables: age, sex, weight, education, health insurance, pregnancy status, and multiple and underlying causes of death. Annual death numbers from SEED can be different than those provided by the National Institue of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), because there are discrepancies in how these organizations receive and report death notifications. SEED results are generally released more quickly than those from INEGI, and they are used internally at the Ministry of Health.