Causes of death
Blood infection (sepsis) deaths in the US
Blood infection (sepsis) killed 40,534 people in the United States in 2025, making it the #14 cause of death. Adjusted for the country's aging population, the death rate is 9.3 per 100,000, down 18% from 11.3 in 1999.
Blood infection (sepsis) deaths per year, 1999 to 2025
Data table
| Year | Deaths | Crude rate per 100,000 | Age-adjusted rate per 100,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 30,680 | 10.995 | 11.253 |
| 2000 | 31,224 | 11.095 | 11.304 |
| 2001 | 32,238 | 11.313 | 11.461 |
| 2002 | 33,865 | 11.774 | 11.877 |
| 2003 | 34,069 | 11.744 | 11.757 |
| 2004 | 33,373 | 11.398 | 11.324 |
| 2005 | 34,136 | 11.551 | 11.364 |
| 2006 | 34,234 | 11.473 | 11.178 |
| 2007 | 34,828 | 11.562 | 11.151 |
| 2008 | 35,927 | 11.814 | 11.287 |
| 2009 | 35,639 | 11.617 | 10.973 |
| 2010 | 34,812 | 11.275 | 10.558 |
| 2011 | 35,748 | 11.473 | 10.536 |
| 2012 | 35,842 | 11.418 | 10.329 |
| 2013 | 38,156 | 12.07 | 10.727 |
| 2014 | 38,940 | 12.212 | 10.689 |
| 2015 | 40,773 | 12.685 | 10.954 |
| 2016 | 40,613 | 12.569 | 10.705 |
| 2017 | 40,922 | 12.564 | 10.557 |
| 2018 | 40,718 | 12.446 | 10.248 |
| 2019 | 38,431 | 11.708 | 9.507 |
| 2020 | 40,050 | 12.155 | 9.731 |
| 2021 | 41,281 | 12.438 | 10.222 |
| 2022 | 42,261 | 12.68 | 10.08 |
| 2023 | 41,710 | 12.454 | 9.875 |
| 2024 | 40,057 | 11.778 | 9.193 |
| 2025 | 40,534 | 11.918 | 9.273 |
It ranked #10 in 1999 and #14 in 2025, and has been as high as #10.
What blood infection (sepsis) means here
Sepsis is the body’s extreme, damaging response to an infection. It is often the final pathway for people with pneumonia, urinary infections or infected wounds, and it is recorded as the underlying cause only when it is the starting point on the certificate. Far more deaths involve sepsis than appear here, because it is often listed as a contributing condition.
CDC category: Septicemia (A40-A41)
What stands out in the 2025 data
- It accounted for 1.3% of all US deaths in 2025, about 1 in 76.
- Deaths peaked in 2022 at 42,261. 2025 is 4% below it.
- 53% of the people who died of it were 75 or older.
- Men were 50% of the deaths, and their age-adjusted death rate was 1.3 times the rate for women.
Who dies of blood infection (sepsis)
| Age | Deaths | Per 100,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1 | 106 | 2.9 |
| 1 to 4 | 53 | 0.4 |
| 5 to 14 | 56 | 0.1 |
| 15 to 24 | 102 | 0.2 |
| 25 to 34 | 317 | 0.7 |
| 35 to 44 | 866 | 1.9 |
| 45 to 54 | 2,003 | 4.9 |
| 55 to 64 | 5,280 | 12.7 |
| 65 to 74 | 10,121 | 28.6 |
| 75 to 84 | 12,216 | 63.3 |
| 85 and over | 9,414 | 146.3 |
| Sex | Deaths | Age-adjusted rate |
|---|---|---|
| Women | 20,136 | 8.3 |
| Men | 20,398 | 10.5 |
Common questions
How many people die of blood infection (sepsis) in the US each year?
Blood infection (sepsis) caused 40,534 deaths in the United States in 2025 (CDC provisional data), compared with 30,680 in 1999.
Is the blood infection (sepsis) death rate going up or down?
The age-adjusted death rate for blood infection (sepsis) was 9.3 per 100,000 in 2025, down 18% from 11.3 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 blood infection (sepsis) rank among causes of death?
It ranked #10 in 1999 and #14 in 2025, and has been as high as #10. The top causes in 2025 were heart disease, cancer and accidents.
Who dies of blood infection (sepsis)?
The most deaths were in people aged 75 to 84 (12,216 in 2025), and the highest death rate was in those aged 85 and over. 20,398 men and 20,136 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
- Flu & pneumonia · 56,617 deaths in 2025, #8
- Kidney disease · 55,435 deaths in 2025, #9
- Diabetes · 95,369 deaths in 2025, #7
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.