The US age-adjusted death rate reached its lowest level on record in 2025, according to provisional mortality data released by the National Center for Health Statistics.
Researchers analyzed provisional death certificate data from the National Vital Statistics System for deaths occurring among US residents between January and December 2025. The analysis was based on death records received and processed by the National Center for Health Statistics as of May 10, 2026, and compared final mortality data from 2024. Causes of death were coded according to the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, and leading causes of death were ranked by the underlying cause listed on death certificates. Age-adjusted mortality rates were calculated overall and by sex and race and ethnicity, and crude death rates were calculated by age using July 1, 2025, US Census population estimates. Unless otherwise specified, comparisons between 2024 and 2025 were assessed for statistical significance using z tests.
A total of 3,094,593 deaths occurred in the US in 2025 compared with 3,072,666 in 2024. The overall age-adjusted mortality rate was 689.2 deaths per 100,000 population, a 4.6% decrease from 722.1 per 100,000 in 2024. Rates decreased across all age groups. The lowest crude death rate was observed among people aged 5 to 14 years (14.0 deaths per 100,000), and the highest was among those aged 85 years and older (12,787.5 deaths per 100,000). Age-adjusted mortality rates also decreased for both males and females, although the rate remained higher among males than among females (811.1 vs 582.9 deaths per 100,000).
Age-adjusted mortality rates decreased across several race and ethnicity groups. The age-adjusted mortality rate did not significantly change for Asian people. Rates increased among American Indian and Alaska Native people, from 786.1 to 803.8 deaths per 100,000, and among Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander people, from 682.7 to 746.0 deaths per 100,000. The age-adjusted mortality rate was lowest among multiracial people (187.3 per 100,000) and highest among Black people (869.0 per 100,000).
In 2025, heart disease remained the leading cause of death, accounting for 694,708 deaths. Cancer followed with 622,832 deaths, and unintentional injuries ranked third with 184,265 deaths. Influenza and pneumonia became the eighth leading cause of death, with 56,511 deaths, while suicide declined from the 10th leading cause of death in 2024 to the 11th in 2025. The report states that the number of deaths from heart disease increased to 694,708 in 2025 from 683,491 in 2024, while deaths from cancer increased to 622,832 from 619,876.
The report notes several limitations. The data are provisional, and the reported numbers and rates may change as additional information and updated population estimates become available. Reporting delays may particularly affect causes of death such as unintentional injuries, as well as potential misclassification of race and Hispanic ethnicity on death certificates. The report also notes that changes in Census population estimation methods may affect comparisons, particularly for race groups with smaller populations. According to the report, provisional mortality data provide an early assessment of national mortality patterns and may help guide public health decision-making while final data are pending.