- The U.S. death rate fell 4.6% from 2024 and hit a record low.
- Deaths from the top two causes — heart disease and cancer — increased in 2025.
- Death rates fell for both men and women, but men had the higher death rate.
The death rate in the United States in 2025 hit a record low, according to a new report from the National Center for Health Statistics within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The July “Vital Statistics Rapid Release” report notes 3,094,593 deaths in the U.S. based on preliminary data. That’s 689.2 deaths per 100,000 people, after age adjustments, down 4.6% from 2024. Death rates were highest for males, older adults and Black people.
A decrease in the death rate “would most likely suggest a record-high life expectancy,” demographers told CNN.
The report, released Thursday, is provisional, which means that the numbers may update slightly in a few months. But the data used includes all the deaths reported by early May 2026, which is more than 99.9% of deaths that occurred in 2025. The data does not include deaths among U.S. territory residents or those from other countries.
What killed people?
The number of the two leading causes of death, heart disease and cancer, both increased compared to 2024. According to the vital records report, these were the leading causes of death in the U.S. last year:
- Heart disease, 694,708 deaths
- Cancer, 622,832 deaths
- Unintentional injuries, 184,265 deaths
- Stroke, 171,427 deaths
- Chronic lower respiratory diseases, 148,408 deaths
- Alzheimer’s disease, 116,794 deaths
- Diabetes, 95,229 deaths
- Influenza and pneumonia, 56,511 deaths
- Kidney disease, 55,378 deaths
- Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, 51,941 deaths
Suicide was the 11th leading cause of death in 2025; it had been No. 10 in 2024. No. 11 in 2024 had been influenza and pneumonia.
Who died?
The death rate fell in all age groups. While death rates fell for both males and females, males had the higher death rate, at 811.1 per 100,000 compared to 582.9 per 100,000 for females.
The age-adjusted death rates were lowest for the multiracial non-Hispanic population (187.3 per 100,000) and highest for non-Hispanic Blacks (869 per 100,000). The report said the rate didn’t change significantly for Asian people. It increased for American Indian and Alaska Native people, rising from 786.1 to 803.8 between 2024 and 2025. The death rate also rose for Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander people, from 682.7 to 746.0.
Death rates were lowest for children ages 5 to 14 (14 per 100,000) and highest for those 85 and older (12,787.5 per 100,000).
Cheating death
Healthy habits could change trajectories, particularly with some of the top 10 leading causes of death. Exercise, nutrition, good-quality sleep and an adequate amount of it all have potential to impact heart disease and stroke risk, for example.
Alcohol consumption can influence risk of chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, while diet, exercise and taking prescribed medicines appropriately can lower risk of death from diabetes or stroke.
The World Health Organization and the American Cancer Society both say that 4 in 10 cancer cases are preventable. Their tips include not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, limiting or eliminating alcohol consumption, eating healthy foods and exercising. Those steps can reduce cancer risk considerably. Sun exposure, stress and pollution are also cancer contributors that can be modified to at least some degree.
A study in the journal Pharmaceutical Research reported that between 5% and 10% of all cancers can be blamed on genetics, “whereas the remaining 90–95% have their roots in the environment and lifestyle."
The American Heart Association and CDC have reported that cardiovascular disease is largely preventable, putting the number as high as 90%. And the advice is the same as for preventing many cancers: Manage stress, get adequate high-quality sleep, choose a heart-healthy diet, don’t smoke and exercise.
There are numbers you should know as well, such as your blood pressure and what constitutes a healthy weight range.
It’s also important to do health screenings, such as mammograms, and have a relationship with a healthcare provider who can monitor your health and provide help as needed.
Some death data limitations
The authors noted a number of limitations, starting with the fact the data, while nearly complete, is provisional. If data that arrive later come from a particular category — whether age, sex, race/ethnicity or cause of death — the numbers could change. The authors also noted that some death causes, especially unintentional injury, are reported “with a more substantial lag.” That’s likely because it takes more investigation to determine the cause. That could change the numbers, too.
And some jurisdictions are slower to report than others, so if a slow jurisdiction had a higher number of deaths, that could lead to some changes, too.
It’s also possible that race categories could be wrong. “As a result, death rates for some groups may be underestimated or overestimated,” the authors wrote.
Regardless of potential differences with the final numbers, “these data can inform public health policies and interventions aimed at reducing mortality.”