Overview
- Final 2024 CDC data show an age-adjusted death rate of about 722 per 100,000, or roughly 3.07 million deaths, marking a decline of about 3.8% from 2023.
- Drug-overdose mortality fell more than 26% year over year to about 79,000 deaths, with fentanyl or other synthetic opioids present in roughly 60% of cases, down from more than 90% in 2023.
- COVID-19 fell out of the 10 leading causes of death as suicide moved into 10th, while death rates for heart disease, cancer, and unintentional injuries all decreased.
- Mortality declined across most ages and all racial and ethnic groups, yet American Indian and Black men retained the highest age-adjusted death rates and infant mortality remained about 5.5 per 1,000 live births.
- Provisional 2025 data point to continued drops in overall mortality and overdoses, though these figures are preliminary and subject to revision.