In 2023, there were around 5,529 choking deaths in the United States. Death from choking is more common among the elderly with food most often responsible for such incidents. The use of abdominal thrusts, or the Heimlich Maneuver, is suggested to dislodge objects and prevent suffocation. Death from choking In the United States, the odds of one dying from choking on food is around 1 in 2,461. These odds are greater than the odds of dying from an accidental gun discharge or as a passenger on a plane. In 2023, there were around 1.7 deaths from choking per 100,000 population. Choking among children Choking is also hazardous among young children. Young children are not only in danger of choking on food, but also of choking on small objects, such as toys with small parts. Choking, strangulation, or suffocation are some of the leading reasons for the recall of children’s products in the United States. The other most common reasons for such recalls include the danger of bodily harm and risk of flammability, burn or electric shock.

The lowest rate of deaths due to choking in the United States was 0.7 per 100,000 population in 1945. In 2023, the rate of deaths due to choking was 1.7 per 100,000 population. This statistic shows a timeline of the rate of unintentional deaths due to choking in the United States from 1945 to 2023.

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.