What are the top causes of death for people 65 and older?
In 2024, cancer led deaths among adults ages 65–79, while heart disease led among those 80 and above.
In 2024, heart disease, cancer, and cerebrovascular disease were the three leading causes of death for people aged 65 and older, causing 916.7, 769.9, and 237.7 deaths per 100,000 people, respectively.
Chronic lower respiratory diseases (207.0 per 100,000) and Alzheimer disease (187.2 per 100,000) followed as the next most common causes of death for older adults.
Heart disease remains the top cause of death for older adults.
Crude death rate per 100,000 people among adults ages 65 and older, 2000–2024
In 2024, cancer was the leading cause of death for adults ages 65 to 79, while heart disease was the leading cause for those 80 and older.
How have the causes of death for seniors changed over time?
Heart disease, cancer, cerebrovascular disease, and chronic lower respiratory diseases were the top four causes of death for seniors (people 65 and older) in 2000. The fifth most common cause was influenza and pneumonia, with 167.3 deaths per 100,000 people.
Influenza and pneumonia were the 10th‑most‑common cause of death in 2024, with deaths decreasing by more than half to 64.1 per 100,000. Meanwhile, Alzheimer’s disease ranked in the top five.
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COVID-19 became a leading cause of death for people 65 and over in 2020. Death rates from heart disease, cancer, and cerebrovascular disease among older Americans have been rising, but all declined in 2024.
Similarly, fewer people 65 and over are dying from four of the top five causes of death now than in 2000:
- Heart disease: down 45.9% since 2000
- Cerebrovascular disease: down 43.8% since 2000
- Cancer: down 31.3% since 2000
- Chronic lower respiratory disease: down 31.9% since 2000
As of 2024, deaths from Alzheimer’s disease among seniors have increased 33.7% since 2000.
Do the top causes of death for senior citizens vary by state?
In 2024, heart disease was the top cause of death for people 65 and older in 45 states and Washington, DC. In the other five states — Alaska, Colorado, Minnesota, Oregon, and Washington — cancer was the leading cause.
Heart disease has been the leading cause of death for senior citizens in almost every state for the past two decades; between 2001 and 2002, it was the leading cause in every state except Alaska.
In 2024, cancer overtook heart disease as the top cause of death in Colorado and Oregon.
Leading cause of death among adults 65 and older, by state, 2024
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