Leading Causes of Death – Females – All races and origins – United States, 2017
Looking for men’s leading causes of death data? Visit Leading Causes of Death – Males – United States.
| All races and origins, Female, All ages | Percent |
|---|---|
| 1) Heart disease | 21.8% |
| 2) Cancer | 20.7% |
| 3) Chronic lower respiratory diseases | 6.2% |
| 4) Stroke | 6.2% |
| 5) Alzheimer’s disease | 6.1% |
| 6) Unintentional injuries | 4.4% |
| 7) Diabetes | 2.7% |
| 8) Influenza and pneumonia | 2.1% |
| 9) Kidney disease | 1.8% |
| 10) Septicemia | 1.6% |
1Persons identified as White, Black, American Indian or Alaska Native, or Asian 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 2017”.
2Figures include all ages, including age not stated.
| Age Group3 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank2 | 1-19 years | 20-44 years | 45-64 years | 65-84 years | 85+ years | All ages |
| 1 | Unintentional injuries 32.7% |
Unintentional injuries 30.0% |
Cancer 34.2% |
Cancer 27.0% |
Heart disease 27.7% |
Heart disease 21.8% |
| 2 | Cancer 11.0% |
Cancer 16.0% |
Heart disease 16.3% |
Heart disease 19.9% |
Alzheimer’s disease 10.9% |
Cancer 20.7% |
| 3 | Suicide 10.3% |
Heart disease 9.0% |
Unintentional injuries 6.9% |
Chronic lower respiratory diseases 8.5% |
Cancer 9.9% |
Chronic lower respiratory diseases 6.2% |
| 4 | Homicide 7.4% |
Suicide 7.6% |
Chronic lower respiratory diseases 5.3% |
Stroke 5.8% |
Stroke 8.1% |
Stroke 6.2% |
| 5 | Birth defects 6.4% |
Homicide 3.8% |
Diabetes 3.8% |
Alzheimer’s disease 4.4% |
Chronic lower respiratory diseases 4.9% |
Alzheimer’s disease 6.1% |
| 6 | Heart disease 3.4% |
Chronic liver disease 2.9% |
Stroke 3.6% |
Diabetes 3.3% |
Influenza and pneumonia 2.7% |
Unintentional injuries 4.4% |
| 7 | Influenza and pneumonia 2.0% |
Diabetes 2.4% |
Chronic liver disease 3.5% |
Unintentional injuries 2.3% |
Unintentional injuries 2.6% |
Diabetes 2.7% |
| 8 | Stroke 1.4% |
Stroke 2.0% |
Suicide 2.0% |
Kidney disease 2.1% |
Hypertension 1.9% |
Influenza and pneumonia 2.1% |
| 9 | Chronic lower respiratory diseases 1.2% |
Pregnancy complications 1.9% |
Septicemia 1.8% |
Influenza and pneumonia 2.0% |
Diabetes 1.8% |
Kidney disease 1.8% |
| 10 | Benign neoplasms 1.0% |
Septicemia 1.2% |
Kidney disease 1.6% |
Septicemia 1.8% |
Kidney disease 1.7% |
Septicemia 1.6% |
1Persons identified as White, Black, American Indian or Alaska Native, or Asian 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 2017”.
2Based on number of deaths. Tie ranks are listed in order of ICD-10 code.
3Figures for age not stated are included in “all ages” but not distributed among age groups.
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 |
| Chronic liver disease | Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis |
| Diabetes | Diabetes mellitus |
| Heart disease | Diseases of 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) |