September 10, 2025
Thom Carroll/For PhillyVoice
COVID-19 fell off the list of the 10 leading causes of death in the United States last year, according to a new CDC report
COVID-19 dropped from the list of leading causes of death in the United States last year, and the overall death rate fell to its lowest point since the pandemic, according to a new report.
There were 3.07 million deaths in the U.S. in 2024, a 3.8% drop from 2023, provisional data released Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows. The death rate fell to 722 people per 100,000 in 2024 from 750.5 people per 100,000 in 2023.
In 2019, the death rate was 715.2 deaths per 100,000 people. The rate spiked to 835.4 deaths per 100,000 in 2020, due to COVID, according to the CDC.
Heart disease was the leading cause of death in 2024, with the total number of deaths rising from 680,981 to 683,037. Cancer deaths also increased from 613,352 to 619,812.
Unintentional injuries were the third leading cause of death, at 196,488. Poisonings, which include drug overdose fatalities, are the leading cause of unintentional injury, followed by falls and car crashes.
Suicide replaced COVID as the 10th leading cause of death.
Deaths dropped for all racial and ethnic groups in 2024, but the death rate for Black people was still higher than for other groups.
Death rates also fell among all age groups, except for infants, and the drop in deaths for children ages 5 to 14 was "not statistically significant." Even though the death rate sank for people 85 and older, it still remained higher than any other age group, according to the report.
These statistics are based on preliminary data from death certificates processed through June 1, with the final report due out in December. Releasing preliminary death rate numbers helps "inform public health policies and interventions aimed at reducing mortality," according to the report.
Several factors limit the accuracy of the provisional data, with numbers and statistics subject to change as more information is reported. For instance, how quickly jurisdictions submit death certificates varies. Also, statistics about some causes of death, such an unintentional injury, tend to lag – which means the "final death count will likely be higher than currently reported," according to the report.
