US Death Rate Drops 6% as COVID-19 Falls to 10th Leading Cause

The U.S. death rate fell by 6% in 2023, reaching 750 deaths per 100,000 people, according to provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This decline is attributed to a significant drop in COVID-19 deaths, which fell from being the fourth leading cause of death in 2022 to the tenth in 2023. Despite this improvement, the overall death rate remains higher than pre-pandemic levels.

The leading causes of death in the U.S. last year were heart disease, cancer, and unintentional injuries, including gun deaths and drug overdoses. These three causes accounted for about half of all deaths. The total number of deaths in 2023 was nearly 3.1 million, down from 3.3 million in 2022. While death rates decreased across all age groups, the reduction was less pronounced among children under five. Additionally, death rates by race and ethnicity also fell, though disparities persist due to population differences. The CDC's data is provisional and based on death certificate information collected so far, with final data expected later this year.