What are the leading causes of death in the US?
Data updated July 19, 2024
In 2022, heart disease, cancer, and accidents were the leading causes of death. Out of the nearly 3.3 million deaths in 2022, over 1.5 million, or 47%, were due to one of these three causes. The fourth, fifth, and sixth most common causes were COVID-19, cerebrovascular diseases, and chronic lower respiratory diseases.
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In 2022
21%
of deaths were from heart disease
In 2022
19%
of deaths were from cancer
In 2022
7%
of deaths were from accidents
According to the CDC, heart disease and cancer have been the leading causes of death in the US since 1950. For every 100,000 people living in the US, 211 people died from heart disease and 183 people died from cancer in 2022. COVID-19 became one of the leading causes at the onset of the pandemic, but its rank had since dropped off. The top five leading causes of death account for 58% of all deaths in 2022.
Heart disease and cancer are consistently the leading causes of death.
Top causes of death per 100,000 people
Accidents were the third leading cause of death in 2022. The term 'accidents' encompasses various subcategories, including both transit and non-transit incidents. In 2022, accidental poisonings, mainly due to drug overdoses, were the most common type of accident, followed by falls and motor vehicle accidents. Changes over time may be influenced by safety improvements, shifting demographics, and other social and economic factors.
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Accidental poisoning accounted for 45% of accidental deaths in 2022.
Accidental deaths by type per 100,000 people
In 2022, 45% of accidental deaths were from drug overdoses and poisonings. This is up from 12% in 1999.
For people over 45, the leading causes of death are heart disease and cancer. Accidents make up a larger share of the deaths of under-45s, accounting for 38% of total deaths in people ages 18 to 44. Accidental drug overdoses made up 25% of total accidental deaths in this age group. In children, the leading cause of accidental death was motor vehicle accidents, which account for 15% of total accidental deaths.
The impact of the top causes of death varies across age groups.
Percentage of deaths by cause and age group in 2022
