Objective: To study the years of life lost with premature death on urban inhabitants in Chongqing during the 1990s. Methods: Years of life lost (YLLs) were used as a measurement unit. Divided in different sexes and different communities in the population

standard years of life lost rate (SYLLsR) for all causes of death were calculated. The alteration tendencies of the SYLLsR for part causes of death from 1991 to 2000 were analysed. Results: The SYLLsR of noncommunicable diseases is 42.58‰

amounting to 82.76% of all causes of death. Among this category of diseases

the SYLLsR of malignant tumour is 12.80‰

constituting 30.06%; the SYLLsR of cerebrovascular diseases is 6.62‰

constituting 15.55%; the SYLLsR of respiratory system diseases is 5.77‰

constituting 13.55%; the SYLLsR of cardiac diseases is 4.38‰

constituting 10.29%. The SYLLsR of accidents is 7.59‰

14.75% of all causes of death; the SYLLsR of communicable

maternal and perinatal diseases is 1.28‰

only making up 2.49%. In different communities

the SYLLsR is obviously different in different causes of death. The SYLLsR of tuberculosis and mental diseases had a rising tendency. Conclusion: Noncommunicable diseases are the major burden of diseases in the urban area. The prevention of tuberculosis cannot be ignored and measures to prevent mental diseases need to be taken promptly.