What are the leading causes of death in Tennessee?
Data updated August 20, 2024
Heart disease, cancer, and accidents were the leading causes of death in 2022. Of the 40,466 deaths that year, 48% 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
22%
of deaths were from heart disease
In 2022
17%
of deaths were from cancer
In 2022
8%
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 Tennessee, 266 people died from heart disease and 207 died from cancer in 2022. COVID-19 became one of the leading causes of death in Tennessee at the outset of the pandemic, but its rank has since dropped off. The top five leading causes of death account for 59% of all deaths in 2022.
The leading causes of death in Tennessee are consistently heart disease and cancer.
2022's top five causes of death per 100,000 people in Tennessee
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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 45% of total deaths in people ages 18 to 44. Accidental drug overdoses make up 32% of total deaths in this age group. In children, accidents account for 32% 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 Tennessee
