What are the leading causes of death in Kentucky?
Data updated July 19, 2024
Heart disease, cancer, and accidents were the leading causes of death in Kentucky in 2022. Of the 26,147 deaths that year, 46% were due to one of these three causes. The fourth and fifth most common causes were COVID-19 and chronic lower respiratory diseases.
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In 2022
20%
of deaths were from heart disease
In 2022
18%
of deaths were from cancer
In 2022
7%
of deaths were from accidents
Heart disease and cancer have been the two leading causes of death since 1999. For every 100,000 people living in Kentucky, 258 people died from heart disease and 228 died from cancer in 2022. COVID-19 became one of the leading causes of death in Kentucky at the outset of the pandemic, but its rank dropped off. The top five leading causes of death account for 59% of all deaths in 2022.
The leading causes of death in Kentucky are consistently heart disease and cancer.
2022's top five causes of death per 100,000 people in Kentucky
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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 42% of total deaths in people ages 18 to 44. Accidental drug overdoses made up 31% of total deaths in this age group. In children, accidents account for 38% 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 Kentucky
