What are the leading causes of death in Oklahoma?
Data updated July 19, 2024
Heart disease, cancer, and accidents in 2022. Of the total deaths that year, 24,067, or 50%, 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
26%
of deaths were from heart disease
In 2022
17%
of deaths were from cancer
In 2022
7%
of deaths were from accidents
Heart disease and cancer have been significant causes of death in recent years. For every 100,000 people living in Oklahoma, 305 people died from heart disease and 208 died from cancer in 2022. The top five leading causes of death account for 64% of all deaths in 2022.
The leading causes of death in Oklahoma are consistently heart disease and cancer.
2022's top five causes of death per 100,000 people in Oklahoma
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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 people under 45, accounting for 33% of total deaths in people ages 18 to 44. Accidental drug overdoses make up 20% of total deaths in this age group. In children, accidents account for 36% 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 Oklahoma
