Introduction

US Death Statistics: The figures on the death of persons in the United States are an unequivocal depiction of the challenges the health, economy, and social frameworks of the country are facing. In the year 2024, many deaths can be attributed to a range of natural as well as artificial reasons, such as old age, illnesses, and accidents. However, heart disease and cancers continue to be the malignancies causing most deaths.

This article goes in-depth on these US death Statistics with the assistance of some recent numeric updates, figures, and clear descriptions, which layer the main aspects of death occurrences in the U.S. population.

The graph illustrates the number of deaths per day in the United States from 1950 to 2025. The x-axis represents the years, abbreviated from '50 to '24, while the y-axis indicates the daily number of deaths. Over this 75-year period, the number of deaths per day ranges from a low of 4,054 in 1950 to a high of 9,570 in 2021. Notable figures include 6,855 deaths in 2010 and 8,333 in 2024. The data shows a general upward trend in daily deaths over the decades, with recent years experiencing some fluctuations. This information is presented in a line graph format, effectively highlighting the long-term trends and yearly variations in daily deaths across the United States.

Historical chart and dataset showing World death rate by year from 1950 to 2025.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) verified a total of 46,085 civilian casualties during Russia's invasion of Ukraine as of May 31, 2025. Of them, 32,744 people were reported to have been injured. However, OHCHR specified that the real numbers could be higher. How many people have died during the war in Ukraine? OHCHR has estimated the number of deaths of civilians, or non-armed individuals, in Ukraine at 13,341 since the start of the war on February 24, 2022. The highest death toll was recorded in March 2022, at over 3,900. The figures on soldier deaths are reported by Russia and Ukraine’s governmental authorities, but they cannot be verified at this point and thus need to be taken with caution. Conflict-related deaths in Ukraine from 2014 to 2021 After Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, Ukraine has seen a military conflict between the government and the Russia-supported separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. OHCHR estimates that between 14,200 and 14,400 people, including civilians and military personnel, were killed in relation to that conflict from April 14, 2014, to December 31, 2021. Of them, at least 3,400 were civilians.

Estimates for the total death count of the Second World War generally range somewhere between 70 and 85 million people. The Soviet Union suffered the highest number of fatalities of any single nation, with estimates mostly falling between 22 and 27 million deaths. China then suffered the second greatest, at around 20 million, although these figures are less certain and often overlap with the Chinese Civil War. Over 80 percent of all deaths were of those from Allied countries, and the majority of these were civilians. In contrast, 15 to 20 percent were among the Axis powers, and the majority of these were military deaths, as shown in the death ratios of Germany and Japan. Civilian deaths and atrocities It is believed that 60 to 67 percent of all deaths were civilian fatalities, largely resulting from war-related famine or disease, and war crimes or atrocities. Systematic genocide, extermination campaigns, and forced labor, particularly by the Germans, Japanese, and Soviets, led to the deaths of millions. In this regard, Nazi activities alone resulted in 17 million deaths, including six million Jews in what is now known as The Holocaust. Not only was the scale of the conflict larger than any that had come before, but the nature of and reasoning behind this loss make the Second World War stand out as one of the most devastating and cruelest conflicts in history. Problems with these statistics Although the war is considered by many to be the defining event of the 20th century, exact figures for death tolls have proven impossible to determine, for a variety of reasons. Countries such as the U.S. have fairly consistent estimates due to preserved military records and comparatively few civilian casualties, although figures still vary by source. For most of Europe, records are less accurate. Border fluctuations and the upheaval of the interwar period mean that pre-war records were already poor or non-existent for many regions. The rapid and chaotic nature of the war then meant that deaths could not be accurately recorded at the time, and mass displacement or forced relocation resulted in the deaths of many civilians outside of their homeland, which makes country-specific figures more difficult to find. Early estimates of the war’s fatalities were also taken at face value and formed the basis of many historical works; these were often very inaccurate, but the validity of the source means that the figures continue to be cited today, despite contrary evidence.

In comparison to Europe, estimate ranges are often greater across Asia, where populations were larger but pre-war data was in short supply. Many of the Asian countries with high death tolls were European colonies, and the actions of authorities in the metropoles, such as the diversion of resources from Asia to Europe, led to millions of deaths through famine and disease. Additionally, over one million African soldiers were drafted into Europe’s armies during the war, yet individual statistics are unavailable for most of these colonies or successor states (notably Algeria and Libya). Thousands of Asian and African military deaths went unrecorded or are included with European or Japanese figures, and there are no reliable figures for deaths of millions from countries across North Africa or East Asia. Additionally, many concentration camp records were destroyed, and such records in Africa and Asia were even sparser than in Europe. While the Second World War is one of the most studied academic topics of the past century, it is unlikely that we will ever have a clear number for the lives lost in the conflict.

This dataset contains counts of deaths for California counties based on information entered on death certificates. Final counts are derived from static data and include out-of-state deaths to California residents, whereas provisional counts are derived from incomplete and dynamic data. Provisional counts are based on the records available when the data was retrieved and may not represent all deaths that occurred during the time period. Deaths involving injuries from external or environmental forces, such as accidents, homicide and suicide, often require additional investigation that tends to delay certification of the cause and manner of death. This can result in significant under-reporting of these deaths in provisional data.

The final data tables include both deaths that occurred in each California county regardless of the place of residence (by occurrence) and deaths to residents of each California county (by residence), whereas the provisional data table only includes deaths that occurred in each county regardless of the place of residence (by occurrence). The data are reported as totals, as well as stratified by age, gender, race-ethnicity, and death place type. Deaths due to all causes (ALL) and selected underlying cause of death categories are provided. See temporal coverage for more information on which combinations are available for which years.

The cause of death categories are based solely on the underlying cause of death as coded by the International Classification of Diseases. The underlying cause of death is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as "the disease or injury which initiated the train of events leading directly to death, or the circumstances of the accident or violence which produced the fatal injury." It is a single value assigned to each death based on the details as entered on the death certificate. When more than one cause is listed, the order in which they are listed can affect which cause is coded as the underlying cause. This means that similar events could be coded with different underlying causes of death depending on variations in how they were entered. Consequently, while underlying cause of death provides a convenient comparison between cause of death categories, it may not capture the full impact of each cause of death as it does not always take into account all conditions contributing to the death.

The American Civil War is the conflict with the largest number of American military fatalities in history. In fact, the Civil War's death toll is comparable to all other major wars combined, the deadliest of which were the World Wars, which have a combined death toll of more than 520,000 American fatalities. The ongoing series of conflicts and interventions in the Middle East and North Africa, collectively referred to as the War on Terror in the west, has a combined death toll of more than 7,000 for the U.S. military since 2001. Other records In terms of the number of deaths per day, the American Civil War is still at the top, with an average of 425 deaths per day, while the First and Second World Wars have averages of roughly 100 and 200 fatalities per day respectively. Technically, the costliest battle in U.S. military history was the Battle of Elsenborn Ridge, which was a part of the Battle of the Bulge in the Second World War, and saw upwards of 5,000 deaths over 10 days. However, the Battle of Gettysburg had more military fatalities of American soldiers, with almost 3,200 Union deaths and over 3,900 Confederate deaths, giving a combined total of more than 7,000. The Battle of Antietam is viewed as the bloodiest day in American military history, with over 3,600 combined fatalities and almost 23,000 total casualties on September 17, 1862. Revised Civil War figures For more than a century, the total death toll of the American Civil War was generally accepted to be around 620,000, a number which was first proposed by Union historians William F. Fox and Thomas L. Livermore in 1888. This number was calculated by using enlistment figures, battle reports, and census data, however many prominent historians since then have thought the number should be higher. In 2011, historian J. David Hacker conducted further investigations and claimed that the number was closer to 750,000 (and possibly as high as 850,000). While many Civil War historians agree that this is possible, and even likely, obtaining consistently accurate figures has proven to be impossible until now; both sides were poor at keeping detailed records throughout the war, and much of the Confederacy's records were lost by the war's end. Many Confederate widows also did not register their husbands death with the authorities, as they would have then been ineligible for benefits.

Death rate, crude (per 1,000 people) in United States was reported at 9.2 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. United States - Death rate, crude - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Death rate, crude (per 1,000 people) in Israel was reported at 5.2 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Israel - Death rate, crude - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Provisional counts of the number of deaths registered in England and Wales, by age, sex, region and Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD), in the latest weeks for which data are available.

Since the terrorist organization Hamas launched its attacks on Israeli soil on October 7, 2023, around 1,200 Israelis died, and 5,431 were injured. Through retaliation attacks by the Israeli armed forces against Hamas in Gaza, 56,156 Palestinians were killed, and 132.239 were injured. As of January 2025, the number of Palestinian deaths in the West Bank was 924, due to the on going conflict. Information on the data situation Data on the number of fatalities and injuries are based on the UNOCHA (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) reporting by both parties to the conflict. The respective data sources were named for the purpose of transparency. It must be stated that in the case of wars and other conflicts, objective data collection is almost impossible, and reports are based on estimates. At the same time, it needs to be noted that some parties to the conflict may use numbers and data selectively for their own agenda. Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7th, 2023 Before October 2023, there had been four wars between Israel and Hamas. The current conflict is already the deadliest, and the death toll is certain to rise. The new escalation of violence in the Middle East started after the militant Palestinian group Hamas attacked Israel in the early hours of October 7, 2023. An estimated 2,200 rockets were fired by Hamas from Gaza toward Israeli targets, hitting civilian buildings and military facilities. Hamas fighters entered the Israeli territory, killing around 1,200 of Israeli citizens. In the weeks that followed, the Israeli military conducted an aerial bombardment and launched a ground offensive in Gaza. Humanitarian pauses allowed aid to get into Gaza, but fighting has continued since a weeklong cease-fire ended on December 1, 2023. Operation Iron Swords and the humanitarian situation of Gaza Initially, Israel reacted to the Hamas attacks with further isolation of the Gaza Strip, cutting off the supply of electricity, fuel, and drinking water. As of November 6, 2023, water supply to parts of the Gaza Strip has been resumed. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) summoned the Palestinians to evacuate the northern part of the Gaza Strip towards the south of Gaza in the direction of the Egyptian border. This affects around 1.93 million people out of the 2.06 million inhabitants of Gaza. According to the UN, over one million people are internally displaced inside the Gaza Strip. Some trucks with relief supplies could infrequently enter the territory via the Rafah border from Egypt. This Israeli military operation is one of the longest-lasting in Gaza, and over 6,000 bombs were already dropped by the IDF.

State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) Crude Death Rate: per 1000 Population: Gaza Strip data was reported at 3.500 NA in 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 3.400 NA for 2017. State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) Crude Death Rate: per 1000 Population: Gaza Strip data is updated yearly, averaging 3.950 NA from Dec 1997 (Median) to 2018, with 18 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4.700 NA in 1997 and a record low of 3.300 NA in 2016. State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) Crude Death Rate: per 1000 Population: Gaza Strip data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s State of Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) – Table PS.G002: Vital Statistics.

Death rate, crude (per 1,000 people) in Palestine was reported at 7.198 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Palestine - Death rate, crude - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

India death rate for 2025 is 7.53, a 0.76% increase from 2024.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>India death rate for 2024 was <strong>7.47</strong>, a <strong>0.77% increase</strong> from 2023.</li>
<li>India death rate for 2023 was <strong>7.42</strong>, a <strong>0.49% increase</strong> from 2022.</li>
<li>India death rate for 2022 was <strong>7.38</strong>, a <strong>0.49% increase</strong> from 2021.</li>
</ul>Crude death rate indicates the number of deaths occurring during the year, per 1,000 population estimated at midyear. Subtracting the crude death rate from the crude birth rate provides the rate of natural increase, which is equal to the rate of population change in the absence of migration.

Death statistics (i) Number of Deaths for Different Sexes and Crude Death Rate for the Period from 1981 to 2023 (ii) Age-standardised Death Rate (Overall and by Sex) for the Period from 1981 to 2023 (iii) Age-specific Death Rate for Year 2013 and 2023 (iv) Death Rates by Leading Causes of Death for the Period from 2001 to 2023 (v) Number of Deaths by Leading Causes of Death for the Period from 2001 to 2023 (vi) Age-standardised Death Rates by Leading Causes of Death for the Period from 2001 to 2023 (vii) Late Foetal Mortality Rate for the Period from 1981 to 2023 (viii) Perinatal Mortality Rate for the Period from 1981 to 2023 (ix) Neonatal Mortality Rate for the Period from 1981 to 2023 (x) Infant Mortality Rate for the Period from 1981 to 2023 (xi) Number of Maternal Deaths for the Period from 1981 to 2023 (xii) Maternal Mortality Ratio for the Period from 1981 to 2023

Death rate, crude (per 1,000 people) in Trinidad and Tobago was reported at 8.368 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Trinidad and Tobago - Death rate, crude - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Death rate, crude (per 1,000 people) in World was reported at 7.5788 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. World - Death rate, crude - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Death rate, crude (per 1,000 people) in India was reported at 6.611 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. India - Death rate, crude - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

This dataset of U.S. mortality trends since 1900 highlights the differences in age-adjusted death rates and life expectancy at birth by race and sex. Age-adjusted death rates (deaths per 100,000) after 1998 are calculated based on the 2000 U.S. standard population. Populations used for computing death rates for 2011–2017 are postcensal estimates based on the 2010 census, estimated as of July 1, 2010. Rates for census years are based on populations enumerated in the corresponding censuses. Rates for noncensus years between 2000 and 2010 are revised using updated intercensal population estimates and may differ from rates previously published. Data on age-adjusted death rates prior to 1999 are taken from historical data (see References below). Life expectancy data are available up to 2017. Due to changes in categories of race used in publications, data are not available for the black population consistently before 1968, and not at all before 1960. More information on historical data on age-adjusted death rates is available at https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/mortality/hist293.htm. SOURCES CDC/NCHS, National Vital Statistics System, historical data, 1900-1998 (see https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/mortality_historical_data.htm); CDC/NCHS, National Vital Statistics System, mortality data (see http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/deaths.htm); and CDC WONDER (see http://wonder.cdc.gov). REFERENCES National Center for Health Statistics, Data Warehouse. Comparability of cause-of-death between ICD revisions. 2008. Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/mortality/comparability_icd.htm. National Center for Health Statistics. Vital statistics data available. Mortality multiple cause files. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data_access/vitalstatsonline.htm. Kochanek KD, Murphy SL, Xu JQ, Arias E. Deaths: Final data for 2017. National Vital Statistics Reports; vol 68 no 9. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2019. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr68/nvsr68_09-508.pdf. Arias E, Xu JQ. United States life tables, 2017. National Vital Statistics Reports; vol 68 no 7. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2019. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr68/nvsr68_07-508.pdf. National Center for Health Statistics. Historical Data, 1900-1998. 2009. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/mortality_historical_data.htm.

Rank, number of deaths, percentage of deaths, and age-specific mortality rates for the leading causes of death, by age group and sex, 2000 to most recent year.