
Mortality Statistics
National-level mortality data help track the characteristics of those who have died, monitor and make decisions about public health challenges, determine life expectancy, and compare death trends with other countries. Learn more
*COVID-19 became an official cause of death in 2020; rates for 2019 are not applicable.
1Statistically significant increase in age-adjusted death rate from 2019 to 2020 (p < 0.05).
2Statistically significant decrease in age-adjusted death rate from 2019 to 2020 (p < 0.05).
NOTES: A total of 3,383,729 resident deaths were registered in the United States in 2020. The 10 leading causes of death accounted for 74.1% of all deaths in the United States in 2020. Causes of death are ranked according to number of deaths. Rankings for 2019 data are not shown. Data table for Figure 4 includes the number of deaths for leading causes and the percentage of total deaths. Access data table for Figure 4pdf iconpdf icon.
SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics System, Mortality.
- United States Life Tables, 2019 pdf icon[PDF – 1 MB] (3/22/2022)
- A Reference Guide for Certification of Deaths Associated With Pregnancy on Death Certificates pdf icon[PDF – 4 MB] (3/21/2022)
- Suicide Mortality in the United States, 2000–2020 (3/3/2022)
- Maternal Mortality Rates in the United States, 2020 (2/23/2022)
- U.S. State Life Tables, 2019 pdf icon[PDF – 829 KB] (2/10/2022)
- Fetal Mortality in the United States: Trends From 2014 Through 2019 and Changes Between 2018–2019 and 2019–2020 pdf icon[PDF – 550 KB] (1/20/2022)
- Decline in Perinatal Mortality in the United States, 2017–2019 (1/18/2021)
- Drug Overdose Deaths in the United States, 1999–2020 (12/30/2021)
- Mortality in the United States, 2020 (12/21/2021)
- State Declines in Heart Disease Mortality in the United States, 2000–2019 (12/9/2021)
- Sepsis-related Mortality Among Adults Aged 65 and Over: United States, 2019 (11/10/2021)
- Mortality Profile of the Non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native Population, 2019 pdf icon[PDF – 683 KB] Supplemental Tables pdf icon[PDF – 106 KB] (11/9/2021)