What are the leading causes of death in California?
Data updated July 19, 2024
In 2022, heart disease, cancer, and accidents were the leading causes of death in California. Of the 147,957 deaths that year, 47% of the total were due to one of these three causes. The fourth and fifth most common causes were cerebrovascular diseases and COVID-19.
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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
For every 100,000 people living in California, 170 people died from heart disease and 155 died from cancer in 2022. The top five leading causes of death account for 59% of all deaths in 2022.
The leading causes of death in California are consistently heart disease and cancer.
2022's top five causes of death per 100,000 people in California
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The leading causes of death vary among age groups; older people are more likely to die in general, and more likely to succumb to illness than accidents. Accidents include accidental poisonings, or accidental drug overdoses, and motor vehicle accidents.
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 40% of total deaths in people ages 18 to 44. Accidental drug overdoses made up 25% of total deaths in this age group. In children, accidents account for 30% of deaths.
The impact of the top causes of death varies across age groups.
Percentage of deaths by cause and age group in 2022 in California
