RESUMEN
PURPOSE: To evaluate the association between the adult mortality, in the age range between 10 and 64 years old in 2000, and socioeconomic indicators for 16 metropolitan regions of Brazil. METHODS: From the datas of the Mortality System from the Ministry of Heath, were calculated the crude mortality rates (CMR) to all the causes of dead and sex, for the 16 metropolitan regions in Brazil. As a form of guarantee the spacial camparability, the CMR were standardized by age and sex, achieving the total mortality-standardized rates and for sex by the direct method of standardization. The correlation of Pearson was obtained for the 9 indicators and the analysis of cluster was used for the agroupment of the metropolitan regions. RESULTS: The matrix of correlation of Pearson showed significant correlation only between the TMSR, the urbanization degree and residence with rubbish collection. Three groups of metropolitan regions were identified. CONCLUSION: The analysis of agroupment identified three groups: 1--Porto Alegre, São Paulo, Vitória, Curitiba, Maceió, Rio de Janeiro e recife; 2--Florianópolis, Natal, Fortaleza, Brasília e São Luís e 3--Goiânia, Belo Horizonte, Salvador e Belém, that showed be significantly different by analysis of variance (P = 0.000).