The United States recorded 3,072,039 deaths in 2024, and the age-adjusted death rate was 722.0 per 100,000—a 3.8% decrease from 750.5 in 2023 and the lowest since 2020, according to provisional data from the National Center for Health Statistics.

Death rates decreased across nearly all demographic groups, with declines for all age groups except infants younger than 1 year; the decrease for children ages 5 to 14 was not statistically significant. Sex differences persisted, with males at 844.8 and females at 613.5 deaths per 100,000 (age-adjusted).

Heart disease remained the leading cause of death (683,037), followed by cancer (619,812) and unintentional injury (196,488). Suicide replaced COVID-19 as the 10th leading underlying cause of death in 2024. 

Age-adjusted death rates varied by race and ethnicity. Multiracial people had the lowest rate (332.3 per 100,000), while Black people had the highest (884.0). All groups decreased from 2023 to 2024.

By age, death rates remained highest among those aged 85 and older (13,833.5 per 100,000) and lowest among children 5 to 14 (14.4 per 100,000), consistent with historical patterns.

Despite overall improvements, deaths from heart disease increased to 683,037 in 2024 from 680,981 in 2023, and cancer deaths rose to 619,812 from 613,352.

Data notes and limitations: The analysis is based on 99.9% of 2024 death records processed as of June 1, 2025, and excludes deaths among residents of US territories and foreign countries. Final annual mortality data are typically released approximately 11 months after the end of the year. Researchers caution that “certain causes of death (such as unintentional injury deaths) are known to be reported with a more substantial lag, so the final death count will likely be higher than currently reported.”

Source: CDC