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Mortality and Leading Causes of Death
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Why It's Important
Mortality data are a primary source of information for identifying and monitoring chronic diseases and other public health problems.1 Provisional* death estimates provide an early indication of shifts in mortality trends and can guide public health policies and interventions intended to reduce mortality.21.
Mortality Data from the National Vital Statistics System. CDC. 3/9/89.
2. Ahmad FB, Cisewski JA, Anderson RN. Mortality in the United States - Provisional Data, 2023. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2024;73:677-681.
*Community Profiles and Indicator Reports in NJSHAD only include final mortality data, however provisional mortality data are available in the Dataset Queries.
2. Ahmad FB, Cisewski JA, Anderson RN. Mortality in the United States - Provisional Data, 2023. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2024;73:677-681.
*Community Profiles and Indicator Reports in NJSHAD only include final mortality data, however provisional mortality data are available in the Dataset Queries.
What's Known
In 1951, the Public Health Conference on Records and Statistics recommended that state and federal agencies responsible for identifying diseases of public health importance adopt a uniform ranking procedure using a standard list of causes of death. The procedures implemented in 1952 are essentially the same as those currently used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS); however, the cause-of-death lists have been expanded and altered over time with each subsequent revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD).3- Nationally, heart disease and cancer have been the 1st and 2nd leading causes of death, respectively, since at least 1935.
- Stroke has been among the five leading causes every year since at least 1935.
- Unintentional injury entered the five leading causes of death in 1946.
- Chronic lower respiratory diseases entered the five leading causes of death in 1979.4 It dropped to sixth in 2020.
- COVID-19 entered the five leading causes of death in 2020.
3. Heron M. Deaths: Leading causes for 2015. National vital statistics reports;
vol 66 no 5. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 11/27/17.
4. Hoyert DL. 75 years of mortality in the United States, 1935-2010. NCHS data brief, no 88. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. March 2012.
4. Hoyert DL. 75 years of mortality in the United States, 1935-2010. NCHS data brief, no 88. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. March 2012.
Who's At Risk
Preventing premature or early death (death before a certain age, such as 75 or 80) is a key focus of public health. Persons with certain chronic conditions or who engage in risky behaviors are at greater risk for premature death.How to Reduce Risk
To prevent premature death, live an active lifestyle; eat healthy foods; avoid tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs; wear seatbelts, helmets, and other safety equipment as needed; and visit health care providers routinely for screenings, vaccinations, and to address health concerns.How It's Tracked
Cause of Death
Mortality statistics are compiled from death certificates in accordance with World Health Organization (WHO) regulations, which specify that member nations classify and code causes of death in accordance with the current revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD). ICD provides the basic guidance used in virtually all countries to code and classify causes of death. Effective with deaths occurring in 1999, the United States began using the 10th revision of this classification, (ICD-10).ICD not only details disease classification but also provides definitions, tabulation lists, the format of the cause-of-death section of the death certificate, and the rules for coding cause of death.
Tabulations of cause-of-death statistics are based solely on the underlying cause of death. The underlying cause is defined by WHO as the disease or injury that initiated the train of events leading directly to death, or the circumstances of the accident or violence that produced the fatal injury. The underlying cause is selected from the conditions entered by the physician in the cause-of-death section of the death certificate. When more than one cause or condition is entered by the physician, the underlying cause is determined by the sequence of conditions on the certificate, the provisions of ICD, and associated selection rules and modifications.5
Premature Death
Premature death in a population is measured using age-specific death rates, average age at death, life expectancy, and years of potential life lost (YPLL).5. Heron M. Deaths: Leading causes for 2015. National vital statistics reports;
vol 66 no 5. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 11/27/17.