As of 2023, the third leading cause of death among teenagers aged 15 to 19 years in the United States was intentional self-harm or suicide, contributing to around 17 percent of deaths among this age group. The leading cause of death at that time was unintentional injuries, contributing to around 38.6 percent of deaths, while 20.7 percent of all deaths in this age group were due to assault or homicide. Cancer and heart disease, the overall leading causes of death in the United States, are also among the leading causes of death among U.S. teenagers. Adolescent suicide in the United States In 2021, around 22 percent of students in grades 9 to 12 reported that they had seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year. Female students were around twice as likely to report seriously considering suicide compared to male students. In 2023, New Mexico had the highest rate of suicides among U.S. teenagers, with around 28 deaths per 100,000 teenagers, followed by Idaho with a rate of 22.5 per 100,000. The states with the lowest death rates among adolescents are New Jersey and New York. Mental health treatment Suicidal thoughts are a clear symptom of mental health issues. Mental health issues are not rare among children and adolescents, and treatment for such issues has become increasingly accepted and accessible. In 2021, around 15 percent of boys and girls aged 5 to 17 years had received some form of mental health treatment in the past year. At that time, around 35 percent of youths aged 12 to 17 years in the United States who were receiving specialty mental health services were doing so because they had thought about killing themselves or had already tried to kill themselves.

Over the last few years, gun violence in the United States has become an increasingly deadly public health crisis. In 2021, firearms were the leading cause of death for children and adolescents aged one to 19 years old for a second year in a row in the United States, with ***** deaths from firearms, which accounted for more deaths than car crashes and other diseases in that year. This is an increase from the previous year, when there were ***** deaths from firearms. Gun violence in the U.S. Along with a rise in gun-related deaths, the United States has been experiencing an overall increase in gun violence, including mass shootings, school shootings, and gun homicides. Not surprisingly, the United States has also reported in increase in gun sales, with the unit sales for firearms reaching a new high in recent years. A uniquely American problem Despite the rise of gun violence and gun-related deaths, guns remain easily accessible in the United States and gun control has become a divisive issue throughout the nation. However, gun control proponents often call attention to the uniquely American phenomenon of school shootings. Since 2018, the annual number of incidents involving firearms at K-12 schools in the U.S. reached over *** in each year, while similar incidents in other countries with strict gun laws are exceptionally rare.

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.

Number of deaths and age-specific mortality rates for selected grouped causes, by age group and sex, 2000 to most recent year.

In 2023, 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 16 percent of all deaths. Sadly, the second leading cause of death among children aged 10 to 14 is intentional self-harm, with 14 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 42 percent of all deaths in the United States in 2023. In 2023, 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.

The leading causes of death among children aged 5 to 9 years in the United States in 2023 were unintentional injuries, cancer, and congenital malformations, deformations, and chromosomal abnormalities. At that time, unintentional injuries accounted for around 27 percent of all deaths among this age group. Child abuse in the U.S. Sadly, assault or homicide was the fourth leading cause of death among those aged 5 to 9 years in the United States in 2023, accounting for around 8.4 percent of all deaths. That year, there were around 112,808 cases of child abuse in the U.S. among children aged 6 to 9 years and 128,004 cases among children aged 2 to 5 years. In 2023, there were around 5.39 child deaths per day in the United States due to abuse and neglect. Suicide among children Assault or homicide was also among the top five leading causes of death among children aged 10 to 14 years, but perhaps even more troubling is that suicide is the second leading cause of death among this age group. As with younger children, unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death among those aged 10 to 14 years; however, suicide accounts for around 14 percent of all deaths among this age group. Comparatively, suicide is not among the ten leading causes of death among children from the ages of 1 to 9 years.

This graph illustrates the distribution of young people and children who died in France in 2014, by age and cause of death. That year, about ** percent of people being between 15 and 14 years old died from external causes such as accidents or suicide.

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

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.