Facts + Statistics: Mortality risk

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According to the CDC data and reports:

  • Heart disease, cancer, and accidents (unintentional injuries) are the top three leading causes of death in the United States.
  • In 2022, the U.S. had nearly 108,000 drug overdose deaths.
  • In 2021, the top states for the number of drug poisoning deaths  were California, Florida, and New York. However, the states that had the most drug poisoning deaths per 100,000 people were West Virginia, the District of Columbia, and Kentucky.
  • According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, between January 21, 2020 and January 9, 2022, there were 59 million cases of COVID-19 in the United States and the virus had claimed 834,000 lives.
  • The number of U.S. deaths by firearms is higher than the number of Americans killed in motor vehicle crashes. 

Major causes of death

Top 10 Leading Causes of Death, 2022

Rank (1) Cause of death Number of
deaths		 Rate (2)
1 Heart disease 702,880 167.2
2 Malignant neoplasms (cancer) 608,371 142.3
3 Accidents (unintentional injuries) 227,039 64.0
4 COVID-19 186,552 44.5
5 Cerebrovascular diseases (stroke) 165,393 39.5
6 Chronic lower respiratory diseases 147,382 34.3
7 Alzheimer's disease 120,122 28.9
8 Diabetes 101,209 24.1
9 Kidney disease 57,937 13.8
10 Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis 54,803 13.8
  All other causes 908,169 NA
  All deaths 3,279,857 798.8

(1) Based on number of deaths.
(2) Deaths per 100,000 U.S. standard population.

NA=Not applicable.

Source: National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics System, Mortality.

View Archived Tables

Odds of dying from accidental injuries

The chart below shows the likelihood, or odds, of dying as a result of a specific type of accident. The odds of dying over a one-year period are based on the U.S. population as a whole, not on participants in any particular activity or on how dangerous that activity may be. For example, more people are killed in auto accidents than in motorcycle accidents or airplane crashes, not because riding a motorcycle or traveling in an airplane is more or less dangerous, but because far more people travel by car.

Odds Of Death In The United States By Selected Cause Of Injury, 2021 (1)

 

Cause of death Number of deaths, 2021 One-year odds Lifetime odds
Accidental poisoning by and exposure to noxious substances (2) 102,001   3,254   43 
     Drug poisoning   98,268   3,377   44 
     Opioids (including both legal and illegal) 75,785   4,379   58 
All motor vehicle accidents 46,980 7,065 93
     Car occupants 7,576 43,809 576
     Pedestrians 8,984 36,943 485
     Motorcycle riders 5,836 56,870 747
Assault by firearm 20,958 15,836 208
Exposure to smoke, fire and flames 3,389 97,933 1,287
Fall on and from stairs and steps 2,766 119,991 1,577
Drowning and submersion while in or falling into swimming pool 841 394,642 5,186
Fall on and from ladder or scaffolding 557 595,860 7,830
Firearms discharge (accidental) 458 724,659 9,522
Air and space transport accidents 388 855,396 11,240
Cataclysmic storm (3) 217 1,529,464 20,098
Flood 95 3,493,618 45,908
Bitten or struck by dog 81 4,097,454 53,843
Earthquake and other earth movements 44 7,543,040 99,120
Lightning 15 (4) (4)

(1) Based on fatalities and life expectancy in 2021. Ranked by deaths in 2021.
(2) Includes all types of medications including narcotics and hallucinogens, alcohol and gases.
(3) Includes hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, dust storms and other cataclysmic storms.
(4) Rates based on less than 20 deaths are likely to be unstable from year to year and are therefore not included.

Source: National Center for Health Statistics; National Safety Council.

View Archived Tables

The opioid crisis

 

 

View Archived Graphs

Top 10 States By Drug Poisoning Deaths And Death Rates, 2021 (1)

 

  By number of deaths   By deaths per 100,000 people
Rank State Number of 
of deaths		 Deaths per
100,000 people (2)		 Rank State Number of 
of deaths		 Deaths per
100,000 people
1 California 10,901 26.6 1 West Virginia 1,501 90.9
2 Florida 7,827 37.5 2 District of Columbia 3,813 56.6
3 New York 5,842 28.7 3 Kentucky 2,463 55.9
4 Pennsylvania 5,449 43.2 4 Delaware 2,381 55.6
5 Ohio 5,397 48.1 5 Ohio 513 54.0
6 Texas 4,984 16.8 6 Tennessee 1,052 51.6
7 North Carolina 3,981 39.2 7 Maryland 5,397 48.1
8 Tennessee 3,813 56.6 8 Louisana 611 47.1
9 Illinois 3,762 29.0 9 Pennsylvania 5,449 43.2
10 Michigan 3,089 31.5 10 Maine 2,811 43.0

(1) Drug overdose caused by prescription and illegal drugs.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Services.

View Archived Tables

Additional Resources

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Fatal Crash Statistics

World Health Organization (WHO) COVID-19 Numbers at a Glance (scroll to middle of page)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID Data Tracker

National Center for Health Statistics, Mortality in the United States

CDC Drug Overdose Information

CDC, National Center for Health Statistics Firearm Mortality by State

National Vital Statistics System, Provisional Life Expectancy Estimates for 2021

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