In the United States in 2021, the death rate was highest among those aged 85 and over, with about 17,190.5 men and 14,914.5 women per 100,000 of the population passing away. For all ages, the death rate was at 1,118.2 per 100,000 of the population for males, and 970.8 per 100,000 of the population for women. The death rate Death rates generally are counted as the number of deaths per 1,000 or 100,000 of the population and include both deaths of natural and unnatural causes. The death rate in the United States had pretty much held steady since 1990 until it started to increase over the last decade, with the highest death rates recorded in recent years. While the birth rate in the United States has been decreasing, it is still currently higher than the death rate. Causes of death There are a myriad number of causes of death in the United States, but the most recent data shows the top three leading causes of death to be heart disease, cancers, and accidents. Heart disease was also the leading cause of death worldwide.

Number of deaths and mortality rates, by age group, sex, and place of residence, 1991 to most recent year.

India IN: Probability of Dying at Age 15-19 Years: per 1000 data was reported at 4.000 Ratio in 2019. This records a decrease from the previous number of 4.100 Ratio for 2018. India IN: Probability of Dying at Age 15-19 Years: per 1000 data is updated yearly, averaging 7.800 Ratio from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2019, with 30 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 10.500 Ratio in 1990 and a record low of 4.000 Ratio in 2019. India IN: Probability of Dying at Age 15-19 Years: per 1000 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s India – Table IN.World Bank.WDI: Health Statistics. Probability of dying between age 15-19 years of age expressed per 1,000 adolescents age 15, if subject to age-specific mortality rates of the specified year.; ; Estimates developed by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, UN DESA Population Division) at www.childmortality.org.; Weighted average; Aggregate data for LIC, UMC, LMC, HIC are computed based on the groupings for the World Bank fiscal year in which the data was released by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation.

Nigeria NG: Probability of Dying at Age 10-14 Years: per 1000 data was reported at 7.900 Ratio in 2019. This records a decrease from the previous number of 8.100 Ratio for 2018. Nigeria NG: Probability of Dying at Age 10-14 Years: per 1000 data is updated yearly, averaging 10.000 Ratio from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2019, with 30 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 12.900 Ratio in 1990 and a record low of 7.900 Ratio in 2019. Nigeria NG: Probability of Dying at Age 10-14 Years: per 1000 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Nigeria – Table NG.World Bank.WDI: Health Statistics. Probability of dying between age 10-14 years of age expressed per 1,000 adolescents age 10, if subject to age-specific mortality rates of the specified year.; ; Estimates developed by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, UN DESA Population Division) at www.childmortality.org.; Weighted average; Aggregate data for LIC, UMC, LMC, HIC are computed based on the groupings for the World Bank fiscal year in which the data was released by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation.

In 2023, the age-specific death rate for men aged 90 or over in England and Wales was 248.1 per one thousand population, and 215.1 for women. Except for infants that were under the age of one, younger age groups had the lowest death rate, with the death rate getting progressively higher in older age groups.

Among COVID-19 patients in the United States from February 12 to March 16, 2020, estimated case-fatality rates were highest for adults aged 85 years and older. Younger people appeared to have milder symptoms, and there were no deaths reported among persons aged 19 years and under.

Tracking the virus in the United States The outbreak of a previously unknown viral pneumonia was first reported in China toward the end of December 2019. The first U.S. case of COVID-19 was recorded in mid-January 2020, confirmed in a patient who had returned to the United States from China. The virus quickly started to spread, and the first community-acquired case was confirmed one month later in California. Overall, there had been approximately 4.5 million coronavirus cases in the country by the start of August 2020.

U.S. health care system stretched California, Florida, and Texas are among the states with the most coronavirus cases. Even the best-resourced hospitals in the United States have struggled to cope with the crisis, and certain areas of the country were dealt further blows by new waves of infections in July 2020. Attention is rightly focused on fighting the pandemic, but as health workers are redirected to care for COVID-19 patients, the United States must not lose sight of other important health care issues.

Kenya KE: Probability of Dying at Age 15-19 Years: per 1000 data was reported at 6.300 Ratio in 2019. This records a decrease from the previous number of 6.600 Ratio for 2018. Kenya KE: Probability of Dying at Age 15-19 Years: per 1000 data is updated yearly, averaging 9.500 Ratio from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2019, with 30 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 10.900 Ratio in 1999 and a record low of 6.300 Ratio in 2019. Kenya KE: Probability of Dying at Age 15-19 Years: per 1000 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Kenya – Table KE.World Bank.WDI: Health Statistics. Probability of dying between age 15-19 years of age expressed per 1,000 adolescents age 15, if subject to age-specific mortality rates of the specified year.; ; Estimates developed by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, UN DESA Population Division) at www.childmortality.org.; Weighted average; Aggregate data for LIC, UMC, LMC, HIC are computed based on the groupings for the World Bank fiscal year in which the data was released by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation.

In the United States, the average person has a 1 in 6 chance of dying from heart disease and a 1 in 7 chance of dying from cancer. In comparison, the odds of dying from a dog attack are 1 in 43,882. Sadly, the odds of dying from an opioid overdose in the U.S. are 1 in 55, making death from an opioid overdose more likely than dying from a motor vehicle accident. Opioid overdose death rates have increased insignificantly in the U.S. over the past decade. Leading causes of death in the United States Given the high lifetime odds of dying from heart disease or cancer, it is unsurprising that heart disease and cancer are the leading causes of death in the United States. Together, heart disease and cancer account for around 40 percent of all deaths. Other leading causes of death include accidents, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, and diabetes. However, in 2020 and 2021, COVID-19 was the third leading cause of death in the United States and remained the fourth leading cause of death in 2022, with around 44.5 deaths per 100,000 population. Heart disease in the U.S. Although heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, death rates due to heart disease have decreased steadily over the last two decades. In 2019, there were around 162 deaths due to heart disease per 100,000 population. Coronary heart disease is the most common form of heart disease in the United States. Common risk factors for heart disease include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, excessive drinking, and being overweight or obese. The states with the highest rates of death from heart disease are Oklahoma, Mississippi, and Alabama.

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.

Between the beginning of January 2020 and June 14, 2023, of the 1,134,641 deaths caused by COVID-19 in the United States, around 307,169 had occurred among those aged 85 years and older. This statistic shows the number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) deaths in the U.S. from January 2020 to June 2023, by age.

Laos LA: Probability of Dying at Age 10-14 Years: per 1000 data was reported at 4.700 Ratio in 2019. This records a decrease from the previous number of 4.900 Ratio for 2018. Laos LA: Probability of Dying at Age 10-14 Years: per 1000 data is updated yearly, averaging 8.150 Ratio from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2019, with 30 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 12.200 Ratio in 1990 and a record low of 4.700 Ratio in 2019. Laos LA: Probability of Dying at Age 10-14 Years: per 1000 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Laos – Table LA.World Bank.WDI: Health Statistics. Probability of dying between age 10-14 years of age expressed per 1,000 adolescents age 10, if subject to age-specific mortality rates of the specified year.; ; Estimates developed by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, UN DESA Population Division) at www.childmortality.org.; Weighted average; Aggregate data for LIC, UMC, LMC, HIC are computed based on the groupings for the World Bank fiscal year in which the data was released by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation.

Probability of dying at age 5-14 years (per 1,000 children age 5) in Slovenia was reported at 0.7 in 2018, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Slovenia - Probability of dying at age 5-14 years (per 1,000 children age 5) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

In 2022, the leading causes of death for children aged one to four years in the United States were unintentional injuries and congenital malformations, deformations, and chromosomal abnormalities. At that time, around 31 percent of all deaths among these children were caused by unintentional injuries. Differences in causes of death among children by age Just as unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death among children aged one to four, it is also the leading cause of death for the age groups five to nine and 10 to 14. However, congenital malformations, deformations, and chromosomal abnormalities account for fewer deaths as children become older, while the share of deaths caused by cancer is higher among those aged five to nine and 10 to 14. In fact, cancer is the second leading cause of death among five to nine-year-olds, accounting for around 15 percent of all deaths. Sadly, the second leading cause of death among children aged 10 to 14 is intentional self-harm, with 13 percent of all deaths among those in this age group caused by suicide. Leading causes of death in the United States The leading causes of death in the United States are heart disease and malignant neoplasms. Together, these two diseases accounted for around 40 percent of all deaths in the United States in 2022. That year, COVID-19 was the fourth leading cause of death, with about six percent of all deaths caused by COVID-19. In 2022, the lifetime odds that the average person in the United States would die from heart disease was one in six, while the odds for cancer were one in seven and for COVID-19 one in 23.

Probability of dying at age 5-14 years (per 1,000 children age 5) in Netherlands was reported at 0.8 in 2018, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Netherlands - Probability of dying at age 5-14 years (per 1,000 children age 5) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

Annual data on death registrations by single year of age for the UK (1974 onwards) and England and Wales (1963 onwards).

Nepal NP: Probability of Dying at Age 15-19 Years: per 1000 data was reported at 4.500 Ratio in 2019. This records a decrease from the previous number of 4.600 Ratio for 2018. Nepal NP: Probability of Dying at Age 15-19 Years: per 1000 data is updated yearly, averaging 6.150 Ratio from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2019, with 30 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 10.100 Ratio in 1990 and a record low of 4.500 Ratio in 2019. Nepal NP: Probability of Dying at Age 15-19 Years: per 1000 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Nepal – Table NP.World Bank.WDI: Health Statistics. Probability of dying between age 15-19 years of age expressed per 1,000 adolescents age 15, if subject to age-specific mortality rates of the specified year.; ; Estimates developed by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, UN DESA Population Division) at www.childmortality.org.; Weighted average; Aggregate data for LIC, UMC, LMC, HIC are computed based on the groupings for the World Bank fiscal year in which the data was released by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation.

Probability of dying at age 5-14 years (per 1,000 children age 5) in Austria was reported at 0.8 in 2018, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Austria - Probability of dying at age 5-14 years (per 1,000 children age 5) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

Probability of dying at age 5-14 years (per 1,000 children age 5) in Chile was reported at 1.5 in 2018, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Chile - Probability of dying at age 5-14 years (per 1,000 children age 5) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

Probability of dying at age 5-14 years (per 1,000 children age 5) in Gabon was reported at 13.5 in 2018, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Gabon - Probability of dying at age 5-14 years (per 1,000 children age 5) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

In 2019, the death rate for adults in the United States aged 65 years and older was around 3,917 per 100,000 population, a decrease from a death rate of 5,144 per 100,000 in the year 2000. This statistic shows the death rates for adults in the United States aged 65 years and older from 2000 to 2019, by age.