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Leading Causes of Death in Females, 2015 (current listing)

Leading Causes of Death (LCOD) by Age Group, All Females-United States, 2015

Leading Causes of Death, all females, all ages
All Females, All Ages Percent*
1) Heart disease 22.3
2) Cancer 21.1
3) Chronic lower respiratory diseases 6.2
4) Stroke 6.1
5) Alzheimer’s disease 5.7
6) Unintentional injuries 4.0
7) Diabetes 2.7
8) Influenza and pneumonia 2.3
9) Kidney disease 1.8
10) Septicemia 1.6

*Percent of total deaths in the race category due to the disease indicated. The white, black, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Asian/Pacific Islander race groups include persons of Hispanic and non-Hispanic origin. Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.

Tap table below to expand ages 1-44

Ages 1-44 by Age Group – All Females
Rank Age 1-4 Age 5-9 Age 10-14 Age 15-19 Age 20-24 Age 25-34 Age 35-44
1 Unintentional injuries 27.7% Unintentional injuries 30.6% Unintentional injuries 21.5% Unintentional injuries 39.5% Unintentional injuries 42.4% Unintentional injuries 32.6% Cancer 22.8%
2 Birth defects 12.4% Cancer 19.0% Cancer 16.3% Suicide 17.5% Suicide 11.8% Cancer 12.0% Unintentional injuries 19.2%
3 Cancer 9.4% Birth defects 7.4% Suicide 12.8% Cancer 7.9% Homicide 7.5% Suicide 9.2% Heart disease 12.0%
4 Homicide 8.3% Homicide 5.4% Birth defects 5.4% Homicide 7.1% Cancer 6.8% Heart disease 7.8% Suicide 6.2%
5 Heart disease 4.1% Heart disease 4.3% Heart disease
4.7%		 Heart disease
3.6%		 Heart disease 4.3% Homicide 4.9% Chronic liver disease 3.8%
6 Influenza & pneumonia 2.3% Chronic lower respiratory diseases 3.4% Homicide 4.0% Birth defects 2.9% Pregnancy complications 2.3% Pregnancy complications 2.7% Stroke 2.9%
7 Septicemia 1.8% Stroke (7) 2.2% (tie rank 7) Chronic lower respiratory diseases 2.8% Pregnancy complications 1.4% Birth defects 1.6% Diabetes 2.1% Diabetes 2.7%
8 Benign neoplasms 1.0% Influenza & pneumonia (7) 2.2% (tie rank 7) Influenza & pneumonia 1.5% Influenza & pneumonia 1.0% Diabetes 1.1% Chronic liver disease 2.1% Homicide 2.0%
9 Stroke (9) 1.0% (tie rank 9) Benign neoplasms 2.0% Benign neoplasms 1.5% Stroke 1.0% Stroke 0.9% Stroke 1.6% Septicemia 1.6%
10 Perinatal conditions (9) 1.0% (tie rank 9) Septicemia 1.7% Stroke 1.3% Chronic lower respiratory diseases 0.9% Influenza & pneumonia 0.9% Septicemia 1.2% Chronic lower respiratory diseases 1.3%

Tap table below to expand ages 45 and older

Ages 45+ by Age Group – All Females
Rank Age 45-54 Age 55-64 Age 65+ Age 65-74 Age 75-84 Age 85+ All Ages
1 Cancer 31.7% Cancer 37.1% Heart disease 24.4% Cancer 34.4% Cancer 22.8% Heart disease 28.4% Heart disease 22.3%
2 Heart disease 15.1% Heart disease 17.0% Cancer 18.7% Heart disease 18.3% Heart disease 21.6% Alzheimer’s disease 10.1% Cancer 21.1%
3 Unintentional injuries 10.3% Chronic lower respiratory diseases 6.0% Alzheimer’s disease 7.2% Chronic lower respiratory diseases 8.7% Chronic lower respiratory diseases 8.3% Cancer 10.1% Chronic lower respiratory diseases 6.2%
4 Chronic liver disease 4.5% Unintentional injuries 4.3% Stroke 6.9% Stroke 4.5% Stroke 6.7% Stroke 7.9% Stroke 6.1%
5 Stroke 3.5% Diabetes 3.9% Chronic lower respiratory diseases 6.7% Diabetes 3.8% Alzheimer’s disease 5.9% Chronic lower respiratory diseases 4.9% Alzheimer’s disease 5.7%
6 Chronic lower respiratory diseases 3.4% Stroke 3.7% Diabetes 2.6% Unintentional injuries 2.2% Diabetes 3.0% Influenza & pneumonia 3.0% Unintentional injuries 4.0%
7 Suicide 3.4% Chronic liver disease 3.0% Influenza & pneumonia 2.5% Kidney disease 2.1% Unintentional injuries 2.2% Unintentional injuries 2.5% Diabetes 2.7%
8 Diabetes 3.4% Septicemia 1.9% Unintentional injuries 2.4% Septicemia 2.0% Influenza & pneumonia 2.2% Kidney disease 1.8% Influenza & pneumonia 2.3%
9 Septicemia 1.8% Kidney disease 1.6% Kidney disease 2.0% Influenza & pneumonia 1.7% Kidney disease 2.1% Diabetes 1.8% Kidney disease 1.8%
10 Influenza & pneumonia 1.3% Suicide 1.5% Septicemia 1.6% Alzheimer’s disease 1.7% Septicemia 1.7% Hypertension 1.8% Septicemia 1.6%

*Percentages represent total deaths in the age group due to the cause indicated. Rankings are based on number of deaths. Numbers in parentheses indicate tied rankings. The white, black, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Asian/Pacific Islander race groups include persons of Hispanic and non-Hispanic origin. Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race. Some terms have been shortened from those used in the National Vital Statistics Report. See the next page for a listing of the shortened terms in the table and their full unabridged equivalents used in the report. To learn more, visit Mortality Tables or Mortality Data (HHS, CDC, NCHS).

Short and Full Terms

Some terms in the leading causes of death tables have been shortened from those used in the National Vital Statistics Report. Below is a listing of the shortened terms used in the tables and their full, unabridged equivalents used in the report.

definitions of short and full terms used in leading causes of death listings
Short Terms Full Terms
Aortic aneurism Aortic aneurism and dissection
Appendix disease Diseases of appendix
Benign neoplasms In situ neoplasms and neoplasms of uncertain or unknown behavior
Birth defects Congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities
Bronchitis Acute bronchitis and bronchiolitis
Cancer Malignant neoplasms
C. difficile infection Entercolitis due to clostridium
Chronic liver disease Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis
Chronic lower respiratory diseases Includes bronchitis, emphysema, asthma, bronchiectasis, and other chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Diabetes Diabetes mellitus
Gallbladder disorders Cholethiasis and other disorders of gallbladder
Heart disease Diseases of the heart
HIV disease Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease
Homicide Assault (homicide)
Hypertension Essential (primary) hypertension and hypertensive renal disease
Kidney disease Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis
Kidney infection Infections of kidney
Legal intervention* Physical or other force used by police or other law-enforcing agents, including military on duty, in the course of arresting or attempting to arrest lawbreakers, suppressing disturbances, maintaining order, and other legal action. Includes legal execution and excludes citizen arrest.
Pelvic Inflammatory diseases Inflammatory diseases of female pelvic organs
Perinatal conditions Certain conditions orginating in the perinatal period
Pneumonitis Pneumonitis due to solids and liquids
Pregnancy complications Pregnancy, childbirth and the peurperium
Stroke Cerebrovascular diseases
Suicide Intentional self-harm
Unintentional injuries Accidents (unintentional injuries)

*World Health Organization. International statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). Geneva: World Health Organization, 1992. Available at http://www.who.int/classifications/icd/en/. Accessed April 15, 2010.

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