Causes of death
Accidents deaths in the US
Accidents killed 186,344 people in the United States in 2025, making it the #3 cause of death. Adjusted for the country's aging population, the death rate is 49.8 per 100,000, up 41% from 35.3 in 1999.
Accidents deaths per year, 1999 to 2025
Data table
| Year | Deaths | Crude rate per 100,000 | Age-adjusted rate per 100,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 97,860 | 35.07 | 35.293 |
| 2000 | 97,900 | 34.788 | 34.94 |
| 2001 | 101,537 | 35.631 | 35.684 |
| 2002 | 106,742 | 37.111 | 37.12 |
| 2003 | 109,277 | 37.668 | 37.593 |
| 2004 | 112,012 | 38.255 | 38.065 |
| 2005 | 117,809 | 39.865 | 39.513 |
| 2006 | 121,599 | 40.753 | 40.244 |
| 2007 | 123,706 | 41.067 | 40.359 |
| 2008 | 121,902 | 40.087 | 39.249 |
| 2009 | 118,021 | 38.472 | 37.491 |
| 2010 | 120,859 | 39.145 | 37.99 |
| 2011 | 126,438 | 40.578 | 39.134 |
| 2012 | 127,792 | 40.709 | 39.058 |
| 2013 | 130,557 | 41.299 | 39.385 |
| 2014 | 135,928 | 42.63 | 40.477 |
| 2015 | 146,571 | 45.601 | 43.216 |
| 2016 | 161,374 | 49.941 | 47.408 |
| 2017 | 169,936 | 52.173 | 49.393 |
| 2018 | 167,127 | 51.083 | 47.989 |
| 2019 | 173,040 | 52.718 | 49.285 |
| 2020 | 200,955 | 60.991 | 57.578 |
| 2021 | 224,935 | 67.773 | 64.705 |
| 2022 | 227,039 | 68.121 | 64.015 |
| 2023 | 222,698 | 66.494 | 62.334 |
| 2024 | 197,449 | 58.054 | 53.312 |
| 2025 | 186,344 | 54.789 | 49.763 |
It ranked #5 in 1999 and #3 in 2025, and has been as high as #3.
What accidents means here
The CDC counts accidents as unintentional injuries. The largest groups are poisoning, which is mostly drug overdoses, followed by falls, motor vehicle crashes, drowning and fires. Falls are the leading cause of fatal injury among older adults, while crashes and overdoses weigh most on young and middle-aged adults. Deliberate injuries such as suicide and homicide are counted separately.
CDC category: Accidents (unintentional injuries) (V01-X59,Y85-Y86)
What stands out in the 2025 data
- It accounted for 6.0% of all US deaths in 2025, about 1 in 17.
- Deaths peaked in 2022 at 227,039. 2025 is 18% below it.
- 59% of the people who died of it were under 65.
- Men were 65% of the deaths, and their age-adjusted death rate was 2.1 times the rate for women.
Who dies of accidents
| Age | Deaths | Per 100,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1 | 1,199 | 33.2 |
| 1 to 4 | 1,136 | 7.6 |
| 5 to 14 | 1,513 | 3.7 |
| 15 to 24 | 10,219 | 22.8 |
| 25 to 34 | 19,155 | 41.2 |
| 35 to 44 | 25,900 | 56.9 |
| 45 to 54 | 23,093 | 56.6 |
| 55 to 64 | 26,835 | 64.4 |
| 65 to 74 | 24,027 | 67.8 |
| 75 to 84 | 25,165 | 130.4 |
| 85 and over | 28,094 | 436.6 |
| Sex | Deaths | Age-adjusted rate |
|---|---|---|
| Women | 65,307 | 31.9 |
| Men | 121,037 | 68.4 |
Common questions
How many people die of accidents in the US each year?
Accidents caused 186,344 deaths in the United States in 2025 (CDC provisional data), compared with 97,860 in 1999.
Is the accidents death rate going up or down?
The age-adjusted death rate for accidents was 49.8 per 100,000 in 2025, up 41% from 35.3 in 1999. Age adjustment removes the effect of the population getting older, so it shows whether the risk per person changed, not just the raw count.
Where does accidents rank among causes of death?
It ranked #5 in 1999 and #3 in 2025, and has been as high as #3. The top causes in 2025 were heart disease, cancer and accidents.
Who dies of accidents?
Most deaths, and the highest death rate, were in people aged 85 and over (28,094 deaths in 2025). 121,037 men and 65,307 women died of it.
Where does this data come from?
CDC WONDER, the National Center for Health Statistics death certificate data, using the NCHS list of 113 selected causes. Counts for 2025 are provisional and can be revised slightly upward.
Keep reading
- Suicide · 49,071 deaths in 2025, #11
- Homicide · 17,272 deaths in 2025, #17
- Stroke · 171,516 deaths in 2025, #4
- Drug overdose, suicide and homicide trends
Source: CDC WONDER, Underlying Cause of Death, NCHS 113 selected causes. 2025 counts are provisional. Explore more on the Causes of Death page, or see what kills people your age.