Mortality Statistics

Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)

NCHS is responding to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) with new resources to help monitor and report deaths. Please visit our COVID-19 Death Data and Reporting Guidance page to stay up to date on the latest information.

Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Death Data and Reporting Guidance

Image of CDC Wonder announcement of new provisional mortality data

Image of the sun casting shadows on a lush field through the top of a tree's leaves

The National Vital Statistics System analyzes ~2.8 million records each year to produce timely and accurate information on death and its causes in the United States.

National-level mortality data help track the characteristics of those who have died, monitor and make decisions about public health challenges, determine life expectancy, and compare death trends with other countries. Learn more

Age-adjusted death rate for the 10 leading causes of death in 2022: United States, 2021 and 2022

Image of leading causes of death for 2020 and 2021

^{1 Statistically significant decrease from 2021 to 2022 (p < 0.05).}
^{2 Statistically significant increase from 2021 to 2022 (p < 0.05).}
^{NOTES: A total of 3,279,857 resident deaths were registered in the United States in 2022. The 10 leading causes of death accounted for 72.3% of all U.S. deaths in 2022. Causes of death are ranked according to number of deaths. Rankings for 2021 data are not shown. Data table for Figure 4 includes the number of deaths for leading causes and the percentage of total deaths. Access data table for Figure 4.}
^{SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics System, mortality data file.}

What's New

Declines in Triplet and Higher-order Multiple Births in the United States, 1998–2023 (10/31/2024)
Fetal Mortality in the United States: Final 2021–2022 and 2022–Provisional 2023 [PDF – 618 KB] (10/15/2024)
Deaths: Final Data for 2021 [PDF – 3,250 KB] (10/4/2024)
Suicide Mortality in the United States, 2002–2022 (9/26/2024)
U.S. State Life Tables, 2021 [PDF – 1 MB] (8/21/2024)
Stroke Death Rates Among Adults Ages 45–64 by Region and Race and Hispanic Origin: United States, 2002–2022 (8/8/2024)
Infant Mortality in the United States, 2022: Data From the Period Linked Birth/Infant Death File [PDF – 1,220 KB] (7/25/2024)
2016-2020 Matched Multiple Birth and Fetal Death Data File (5/29/2024)
Maternal Mortality Rates in the United States, 2022 (5/2/2024)
Deaths: Leading Causes for 2021 [PDF – 2, 751KB] (4/8/2024)
Mortality in the United States, 2022 (3/21/2024)
Drug Overdose Deaths in the United States, 2002–2022 (3/21/2024)
Mortality in Adults Age 65 and Older: United States, 2000–2019 [PDF 1,085 KB] (12/15/2023)
Deaths: Leading Causes for 2020 [PDF – 2,208 KB] (12/5/2023)
Provisional Numbers and Rates of Suicide by Demographic Characteristics: United States, 2022 [PDF – 600 KB] (11/29/2023)

Modernization Projects

See our projects to modernize the National Vital Statistics System

Trainings, Tools, and Guidance

Detailed instruction to help with completion of vital records

Medical Examiners and Coroners

Resources, guidelines, and links to professional associations

Methods and Documentation

Resources for processing, coding, and analysis of mortality data

Results and Publications

Where to find mortality-related products and reports

U.S. Standard Certificates of Death

Information for jurisdictions about death certificates

Data Quick Links

CDC WONDER interactive database

WISQARS interactive database

Rapid Release Estimates

Public-Use Data Files

Restricted-Use Data

Mortality Tables

Additional Resources

National Death Index

Where to Write for Death Certificates

Related Sites for Mortality Data

NCHS product and report release schedule

ICE on Automating Mortality Statistics

Historical Data (1900-1998)