US Death Rate Falls As COVID Is No Longer A Leading Cause Of Death

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that COVID-19 is no longer among the top 10 leading causes of death in the United States, marking a significant change in the nation's mortality landscape. In 2024, the overall death rate in the US decreased by 3.8%, with COVID-19 dropping out of the top 10 causes for the first time since the pandemic began in 2020. The leading causes of death remained consistent with previous years, with heart disease, cancer, and unintentional injuries taking the top three spots, respectively.

According to the CDC, the age-adjusted death rate fell to 722 deaths per 100,000 people in 2024, the lowest since 2019. There were nearly 3.1 million deaths overall in the US last year. Despite the decline in COVID-19 deaths, the disease still claimed tens of thousands of lives in 2024. Meanwhile, suicide emerged as the tenth leading cause of death, with nearly 49,000 deaths, replacing COVID-19 on the list.

The CDC report also highlighted that death rates decreased across most age groups, except for children aged 5 to 14 and infants. Infant mortality, which had been declining for decades, saw a spike in 2022 and has not yet recovered. In 2024, nearly 20,000 infants died before their first birthday, prompting Mississippi to declare a public health emergency due to rising infant mortality rates.

The data revealed that while death rates decreased for all racial and ethnic groups, significant disparities persist. The Black population experienced the highest death rates, with 924 deaths per 100,000 people, which is 28% higher than the overall rate. Additionally, deaths decreased among both men and women, though the rate was significantly lower for women.