Leading Causes of Death – Females – Non-Hispanic White – United States, 2018
Looking for men’s leading causes of death data? Visit Leading Causes of Death – Males – United States.
Non-Hispanic White1, Female, All ages2
| Rank | Disease | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| 1) | Heart Disease | 21.9% |
| 2) | Cancer | 20.2% |
| 3) | Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease | 6.9% |
| 4) | Alzheimer’s Disease | 6.5% |
| 5) | Stroke | 6.0% |
| 6) | Unintentional Injuries | 4.3% |
| 7)3 | Influenza & Pneumonia | 2.2% |
| 8)3 | Diabetes | 2.2% |
| 9) | Kidney Disease | 1.6% |
| 10) | Septicemia | 1.4% |
*Data available in Table 1 of the NCHS National Vital Statistics Report Volume 70, Number 4 May 17, 2021
1 Persons identified as White, Black, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander were of non-Hispanic origin. Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race. Figures for origin not stated are included in “all races and origins” but not distributed among race and Hispanic origin groups. For more information on race and Hispanic origin classification please see the Technical Notes section of “Deaths: Leading Causes for 2018”.
2 Figures include all ages, including age not stated.
3The data presented are percentages of deaths. Due to rounding, some percentages appear to be ties but are not.
Non-Hispanic White1, Female, by Age Group
| Age Group3 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank2 | 1-19 years | 20-44 years | 45-64 years | 65-84 years | 85+ years | All ages |
| 1) | Unintentional Injuries 48.1% |
Unintentional Injuries 34.2% |
Cancer 31.4% |
Cancer 30.4% |
Heart Disease 27.9% |
Heart Disease 21.9% |
| 2) | Suicide 19.1% |
Cancer 14.6% |
Heart Disease 15.3% |
Heart Disease 22.8% |
Alzheimer’s Disease 10.7% |
Cancer 20.2% |
| 3) | Cancer 14.9% |
Suicide 9.3% |
Unintentional Injuries 7.3% |
Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease 10.0% |
Cancer 9.7% |
Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease 6.9% |
| 4) | Homicide 9.8% |
Heart Disease 8.2% |
Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease 6.3% |
Stroke 6.4% |
Stroke 7.9% |
Alzheimer Disease 6.5% |
| 5) | Birth Defects 0.68% |
Chronic Liver Disease & Cirrhosis 3.3% |
Chronic Liver Disease & Cirrhosis 3.8% |
Alzheimer Disease 5.7% |
Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease 5.2% |
Stroke 6.0% |
| 6) | Heart Disease 0.40% |
Homicide 2.3% |
Stroke 3.1% |
Unintentional Injuries 3.2% |
Unintentional Injuries 2.8% |
Unintentional Injuries 4.3% |
| 7) | Influenza & Pneumonia 0.019% |
Diabetes 2.0% |
Diabetes 3.1% |
Diabetes 3.0% |
Influenza & Pneumonia 2.7% |
Influenza & Pneumonia4 2.2% |
| 8) | Benign Neoplasms 0.012% |
Stroke 1.5% |
Suicide 2.5% |
Influenza & Pneumonia 2.4% |
Hypertension 1.7% |
Diabetes4 2.2% |
| 9) | Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease 0.011% |
Septicemia 1.0% |
Septicemia4 1.7% |
Kidney Disease 2.3% |
Kidney Disease4 1.5% |
Kidney Disease 1.6% |
| 10) | Stroke 0.010% |
Influenza & Pneumonia 0.92% |
Influenza & Pneumonia4 1.7% |
Parkinson’s Disease 1.3% |
Diabetes4 1.5% |
Septicemia 1.4% |
1 Persons identified as White, Black, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander were of non-Hispanic origin. Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race. For more information on race and Hispanic origin classification please see the Technical Notes section of “Deaths: Leading Causes for 2018”.
2 Based on number of deaths. Tie ranks are listed in order of ICD-10 code.
3 Figures for origin not stated are included in “all races and origins” but not distributed among race and Hispanic origin groups.
4 Data presented are percentages. Due to rounding, some percentages appear to be ties but are not.
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.
| Short Term | Full Term |
|---|---|
| Benign neoplasms | In situ neoplasms, benign neoplasms and neoplasms of uncertain or unknown behavior |
| Birth Defects | Congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities |
| Bronchitis | Acute bronchitis and bronchiolitis |
| Cancer | Malignant neoplasms |
| Diabetes | Diabetes mellitus |
| Heart Disease | Diseases of the heart |
| HIV disease | Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) disease |
| Homicide | Assault (homicide) |
| Hypertension | Essential hypertension and hypertensive renal disease |
| Kidney Disease | Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis |
| Perinatal Conditions | Certain conditions originating in the perinatal period |
| Pregnancy Complications | Pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium |
| Stroke | Cerebrovascular diseases |
| Suicide | Intentional self-harm (suicide) |
| Unintentional Injuries | Accidents (unintentional injuries) |
| ———————- | Cell blank due to previous tie ranks or no data available |