Leading Causes of Death in the United States

As compiled from data reported by the National Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 50, No. 15, September 16, 2002
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Leading Causes of Death in the United States

Note: In the yellow row, "Total Number of Deaths," the percentages answer the question, "Of the total number of deaths
for all ages in the United States, what percent was attributed to each age group."

In the white rows, percentages answer the question, "Of the total number of deaths for all ages in each 'Cause of Death,
' what percentage was attributed to each age group."
Cause of Death/Age Range All Ages Under 1 Yr 1-4 yrs 5-14yrs 15-24 yrs 25-34 35-44
Total Number of Deaths 2,403,351 100% 28,035 1.2% 4,979 0.2% 7,413 0.3% 3,1307 1.3% 40,451 1.7% 89,798 3.7%
Major Cardiovasular Diseases 936,923 39.0% 636 2.3% 234 4.7% 362 4.9% 1,309 4.2% 3792 9.4% 16,624 18.5%
Malignant Neoplasms 553,091 23.0% 92 0.3% 420 8.4% 1,014 13.7% 1713 5.5% 3916 9.7% 16,520 18.4%
Chronic Lower Resperitory Dis. 122,009 5.1% 36 0.1% 51 1.0% 139 1.9% 190 0.6% 296 0.7% 930 1.0%
Diabetes Mellitus 69,301 2.9% 4 0.0% 6 0.1% 26 0.4% 162 0.5% 623 1.5% 1,926 2.1%
Influenza and Pneumonia 65,313 2.7% 289 1.0% 103 2.1% 87 1.2% 189 0.6% 364 0.9% 1,068 1.2%
Alzheimers 49,558 2.1% 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 0 0.0% 2 0.0% 6 0.0%
Motor Vehicle Accidents 43,354 1.8% 168 0.6% 651 13.1% 1,772 23.9% 10,560 33.7% 6,884 17.0% 6,927 7.7%
Renal Failure 3,6471 1.5% 152 0.5% 11 0.2% 19 0.3% 78 0.2% 221 0.5% 701 0.8%
Septicemia 3,1224 1.3% 274 1.0% 99 2.0% 63 0.8% 100 0.3% 280 0.7% 877 1.0%
Firearms 28,663 1.2% 13 0.0% 46 0.9% 377 5.1% 6,575 21.0% 5,789 14.3% ,5358 6.0%
NOTE: Firearms Statistics Include Gang Warfare, Self Defense Shootings and Criminals Killed by Police

Cause of Death/Age Range 45-54 55-64 65-74 75-84 85 and over Not stated
Total Number of Deaths 160,341 6.7% 240,846 10.0% 441,209 18.4% 700,445 29.1% 658,171 27.4% 356 0.0%
Major Cardiovasular Diseases 43,583 27.2% 77,482 32.2% 156,187 35.4% 296,202 42.3% 340,450 51.7% 62 17.4%
Malignant Neoplasms 48,034 30.0% 89,005 37.0% 150,131 34.0% 165,009 23.6% 77,136 11.7% 11 3.1%
Chronic Lower Resperitory Dis. 3,251 2.0% 10,739 4.5% 31,157 7.1% 47,722 6.8% 27,496 4.2% 2 0.6%
Diabetes Mellitus 4,954 3.1% 9,186 3.8% 1,6674 3.8% 22,184 3.2% 13,556 2.1% 0 0.0%
Influenza and Pneumonia 1,774 1.1% 2,879 1.2% 7,189 1.6% 19,821 2.8% 31,547 4.8% 3 0.8%
Alzheimers 64 0.0% 491 0.2% 3,431 0.8% 17,253 2.5% 28,309 4.3% 2 0.6%
Motor Vehicle Accidents 5,361 3.3% 3,506 1.5% 3,038 0.7% 3,173 0.5% 1,288 0.2% 26 7.3%
Renal Failure 1,590 1.0% 3,023 1.3% 6,848 1.6% 12,223 1.7% 11,603 1.8% 2 0.6%
Septicemia 1,845 1.2% 2,899 1.2% 8,704 2.0% 9,938 1.4% 9,144 1.4% 1 0.3%
Firearms 3,951 2.5% 2,272 0.9% 1,941 0.4% 1,723 0.2% 600 0.1% 18 5.1%

Leading Causes of Accidental Death in the United States

Note: In the yellow row, "Total Number of Deaths," the percentages answer the question, "Of the total number of deaths
for all ages in the United States, what percent was attributed to each age group."

In the white rows, percentages answer the question, "Of the total number of deaths for all ages in each 'Cause of Death,
' what percentage was attributed to each age group."
Cause of Death/Age Range All Ages Under 1 Yr 1-4 yrs 5-14yrs 15-24 yrs 25-34 35-44
Total Number of Deaths 97,900 100%  881 0.9% 1,826 1.9% 2,979 3.0% 14,113 14.4% 11,769 12.0% 15,413 15.7%
Motor Vehicle 43,354 44.3% 168 19.1% 651 35.7% 1,772 59.5% 10,560 74.8% 6,884 58.5% 6,927 44.9%
Unspecified nontransport accid'ts 17,437 17.8% 572 64.9% 266 14.6% 267 9.0% 648 4.6% 895 7.6% 1446 9.4%
Falls 13,322 13.6% 8 0.9% 36 2.0% 37 1.2% 237 1.7% 303 2.6% 608 3.9%
Poisoning and Noxious Subst's 12,757 13.0% 14 1.6% 32 1.8% 45 1.5% 1,160 8.2% 2,380 20.2% 4,663 30.3%
Drowning 3,842 3.9% 75 8.5% 493 27.0% 375 12.6% 646 4.6% 419 3.6% 480 3.1%
Exposure to Smoke, Fire, Flames 3,377 3.4% 37 4.2% 290 15.9% 266 8.9% 192 1.4% 241 2.0% 402 2.6%
Other Land Transport Accidents 1,492 1.5% 2 0.2% 31 1.7% 98 3.3% 243 1.7% 212 1.8% 317 2.1%
Complications of Med/Surg Care 3,059 3.1% 19 2.2% 22 1.2% 31 1.0% 32 0.2% 85 0.7% 149 1.0%
Accidental Discharge of Firearms 776 0.8% 1 0.1% 18 1.0% 67 2.2% 202 1.4% 131 1.1% 153 1.0%

Cause of Death/Age Range 45-54 55-64 65-74 75-84 85 and over Not stated
Total Number of Deaths 12,278 12.5% 7,505 7.7% 7,698 7.9% 11,758 12.0% 11,595 0.5% 85 0.1%
Motor Vehicle 5,361 43.7% 3,506 46.7% 3,038 39.5% 3,173 27.0% 1,288 11.1% 26 30.6%
Unspecified accidents 1,510 12.3% 1,349 18.0% 1,824 23.7% 3,678 31.3% 4,966 42.8% 16 18.8%
Falls 871 7.1% 949 12.6% 1,660 21.6% 3,841 32.7% 4,772 41.2% 0 0.0%
Poisoning and Noxious Subst's 3,061 24.9% 688 9.2% 278 3.6% 245 2.1% 184 1.6% 7 8.2%
Drowning 354 2.9% 217 2.9% 179 2.3% 156 1.3% 64 0.6% 24 28.2%
Exposure to Smoke, Fire, Flames 439 3.6% 369 4.9% 401 5.2% 472 4.0% 263 2.3% 5 5.9%
Other Land Transport Accidents 234 1.9% 122 1.6% 100 1.3% 91 0.8% 35 0.3% 7 8.2%
Complications of Med/Surg Care 295 2.4% 376 5.0% 647 8.4% 825 7.0% 578 5.0% 0 0.0%
Accidental Discharge of Firearms 78 0.6% 50 0.7% 41 0.5% 24 0.2% 11 0.1% 0 0.0%