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Top 10 causes of death for Americans from heart disease to cancer
The numbers are in. More than 3 million people died in the US in 2023, according to a data report published by the CDC in August 2024. Covid deaths were down by more than two-thirds, compared with 2022 figures.
Included in the report is a list of the top 10 causes of death in the US, as well as figures relating to age, sex, and ethnicity. Its a familiar lineup, with diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and stroke all making the cut. But two ailments are responsible for significantly more deaths than any others. And the occupier of the third place position may surprise you.
Top 10 leading causes of death in the US include cancer, stroke, and kidney disease
In descending order (i.e. from most to least), the top 10 causes of death among Americans in the year 2023 were:
- Heart disease
- Cancer
- Unintentional injury
- Stroke
- Chronic lower respiratory diseases
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Diabetes
- Kidney disease
- Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis
- Covid-19
The number of deaths in the US was close to 3 million. Almost 700,000 of those were caused by heart disease alone. Meanwhile, more than 600,000 were put down to various types of cancer.
Unintentional injury, in third place, was the cause of fewer than 250,000 deaths. According to the National Safety Council, preventable injury-related deaths include suffocation, drowning, fires and burns, and natural or environmental disasters. But far and away the most common causes of death by unintentional injury are poisoning, falls, and motor vehicles.
All other causes, from stroke to covid-19, were responsible for fewer than 200,000 deaths each.
Death rates dropped across every single age group and every ethnicity, compared with 2022 figures
It should come as little surprise that covid-related deaths fell dramatically between 2022 and 2023. In total, the report chocks nearly 250,000 deaths in 2022 up to covid-19.
In 2023, that number was just 76,446. Thats two-thirds less than the previous year, and less than 5% of all deaths.
Across the board, from infants to teens, millennials, and Baby Boomers to those aged 85 and over, the number of deaths dropped between 2022 and 2023.
The same is true for females and males, and people of all ethnicities, including individuals listed as multiracial.
Understanding the broader implications and context
The reports authors write that data like these can guide public health policies and interventions for populations experiencing higher mortality. Looking at these figures, its easy to adopt a rather rosy perspective: Americans died less last year than they did the year before.
However, its important not to get lackadaisical. Sometimes, a longer-term view can be revealing. In March, The Focus reported on a study published in the Journal of Epidemiology, which showed that the US death rate had worsened significantly from 1990 to 2019 for men and women aged 25-44.
It comes after news cancer deaths among males are projected to increase dramatically over the coming decades, unless major changes are put in place to prevent that. This is especially likely among men over 65 and those living in underdeveloped countries.
