What are the leading causes of death in the US?
Data updated July 19, 2024
In 2022, heart disease, cancer, and accidents were the leading causes of death. Out of the nearly 3.3 million deaths in 2022, over 1.5 million, or 47%, were due to one of these three causes. The fourth, fifth, and sixth most common causes were COVID-19, cerebrovascular diseases, and chronic lower respiratory diseases.
Showing data for
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
According to the CDC, heart disease and cancer have been the leading causes of death in the US since 1950. For every 100,000 people living in the US, 211 people died from heart disease and 183 people died from cancer in 2022. COVID-19 became one of the leading causes at the onset of the pandemic, but its rank had since dropped off. The top five leading causes of death account for 58% of all deaths in 2022.
Heart disease and cancer are consistently the leading causes of death.
Top causes of death per 100,000 people
Accidents were the third leading cause of death in 2022. The term 'accidents' encompasses various subcategories, including both transit and non-transit incidents. In 2022, accidental poisonings, mainly due to drug overdoses, were the most common type of accident, followed by falls and motor vehicle accidents. Changes over time may be influenced by safety improvements, shifting demographics, and other social and economic factors.
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Accidental poisoning accounted for 45% of accidental deaths in 2022.
Accidental deaths by type per 100,000 people
In 2022, 45% of accidental deaths were from drug overdoses and poisonings. This is up from 12% in 1999.
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 38% of total deaths in people ages 18 to 44. Accidental drug overdoses made up 25% of total accidental deaths in this age group. In children, the leading cause of accidental death was motor vehicle accidents, which account for 15% of total accidental deaths.
The impact of the top causes of death varies across age groups.
Percentage of deaths by cause and age group in 2022
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Keep exploring
- Why are accidental deaths rising? - The rise in accidental deaths in the US is being driven by synthetic opioid overdoses, like fentanyl, and falls by an aging population.
- Which states have the highest and lowest life expectancy? - Hawaii's life expectancy was 79.9 years, followed by Massachusetts at 79.6 years and Connecticut at 79.2 years.
- Which states have the highest maternal mortality rates? - Tennessee had the highest maternal mortality rate between 2019 and 2023.
- What are the leading causes of death by age? - Heart disease, cancer, and COVID-19 remain the leading causes of death among adults in the US.
Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
