October 6, 2023 – Heart disease, cancer and COVID-19 are the three leading causes of death within the United States, accounting for greater than half of deaths within the country, the CDC reported.
Heart disease and cancer have been at the highest of the list for greater than a decade, accounting for greater than 37% of U.S. deaths in 2021, essentially the most recent data available. COVID-19 has risen to the forefront because the pandemic began in 2020.
The CDC on Thursday listed the highest 10 causes of death based on information from 2021, the last 12 months with complete data. There have been 3,464,231 deaths within the United States this 12 months, a 2.4% increase from 2020, based on a USAFacts evaluation of CDC data.
According to USAFacts, age-adjusted death rates for cancer and heart disease have declined over the past 20 years, while death rates for Alzheimer's disease and unintentional injuries have nearly doubled between 1999 and 2021.
The top 10 causes of death accounted for nearly 75% of all U.S. deaths in 2021.
- Heart disease (695,547)
- Cancer (605,213)
- COVID-19 (416,893)
- Accidents (224,935)
- Stroke (162,890)
- Chronic diseases of the lower respiratory tract (142,342)
- Alzheimer's disease (119,399)
- Diabetes (103,294)
- Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis (56,585)
- Kidney disease (54,358)
The average life expectancy is 76.4 years. Men born within the United States in 2021 are expected to live to a median age of 73.5 years, while women are expected to live to a median age of 79.3 years. Men have higher death rates from cancer and heart disease, while women have higher death rates from Alzheimer's disease.
According to USAFacts, blacks within the United States had higher rates of heart disease and hypertension, American Indians and Alaska Natives had higher rates of unintentional injuries and chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, and Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders had higher rates of diabetes.