Causes of death
Leading Causes of Death in the US
The biggest causes of death in the United States ranked by deaths in the latest CDC data, with a page for each: how many die, the trend since 1999, and who is affected.
Ranked by deaths in 2025 (CDC provisional counts). Each page has the trend since 1999, the death rate, and who is affected. For the full 113-cause list and comparisons over time, use the Causes of Death explorer.
| Rank | Cause | Deaths in 2025 | Rate per 100,000* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heart disease | 695,897 | 160.3 |
| 2 | Cancer | 623,204 | 140.2 |
| 3 | Accidents | 186,335 | 49.8 |
| 4 | Stroke | 171,517 | 39.6 |
| 5 | Chronic lung disease | 148,561 | 33.0 |
| 6 | Alzheimer's disease | 116,854 | 27.3 |
| 7 | Diabetes | 95,369 | 21.9 |
| 8 | Flu & pneumonia | 56,620 | 13.1 |
| 9 | Kidney disease | 55,435 | 12.7 |
| 10 | Liver disease | 51,997 | 12.7 |
| 11 | Suicide | 49,069 | 13.7 |
| 12 | Parkinson's disease | 43,531 | 9.9 |
| 13 | High blood pressure | 43,421 | 10.0 |
| 14 | Blood infection (sepsis) | 40,534 | 9.3 |
| 15 | Malnutrition | 27,006 | 6.3 |
| 16 | Aspiration pneumonia | 18,865 | 4.3 |
| 17 | Homicide | 17,271 | 5.3 |
| 18 | Benign & other tumors | 16,436 | 3.8 |
| 19 | COVID-19 | 13,798 | 3.2 |
| 20 | Birth defects | 10,079 | 3.2 |
| 21 | Aortic aneurysm | 10,068 | 2.4 |
| 22 | Newborn conditions | 9,781 | 3.7 |
*Age-adjusted: the rate the cause would have if every year had the same age mix as the 2000 US population, so years can be compared. Source: CDC WONDER, NCHS 113 selected causes. Your own age changes the picture a lot: see what kills people your age.