Leading Causes of Death in the United States

May 12th, 2025

The leading causes of death in the United States are:

Heart Disease
Cancer
Accidents
Covid
Stroke
Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease
Alzheimer’s Disease
Diabetes
Kidney Disease
Liver Disease

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that heart disease, cancer, and accidents have consistently been the top three causes of death for many years. In the last reporting period, there were 3,279,857 registered deaths in the United States, for which the top three causes accounted for almost half.

Heart Disease

Deaths: 702,880
Percentage of total deaths: 21.4%

Heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death in the United States. This includes various forms of heart disease, such as coronary artery disease, hypertension, rheumatic fever, heart failure, and others.

Cancer

Deaths: 608,371
Percentage of total deaths: 18.5%

Cancer continues to be the second leading cause of death in the United States. This includes various forms of cancer, such as lung cancer, colorectal cancer, liver cancer, stomach cancer, and breast cancer.

Accidents

Deaths: 227,039
Percentage of total deaths: 6.9%

Accidents, or unintentional injuries, continue to be the third leading cause of death in the United States. This includes deaths from falls, car accidents, and poisonings. While we call them accidents, many times we find out they were anything but. It is worth noting that the CDC reports the leading causes of preventable accidental death are: poisoning, car accidents, falls, suffocation, drowning, and fire/burns.

The number of deaths from preventable medical errors is missing from the CDC’s data. Some sources report that preventable medical errors cause an additional 200,000 accidental deaths. Medical errors have been recognized as a serious public health problem, reported as the third leading cause of death in the United States.

Suffering after a Wrongful Death in Phoenix, AZ? We Can Help.

If you, a friend, or a loved one is suffering after losing a parent, spouse, or child, contact the dedicated Phoenix personal injury lawyers at Gage Mathers Law Group to get justice. We are committed to fighting for the rights of accident victims across Arizona. Whether the death was caused by a car accident, motorcycle accident, truck accident, or by medical negligence, we have the experience to get the surviving family members the justice and compensation they deserve.

About the Author

Joseph D'Aguanno

Guided by the belief that being a highly skilled specialist in a narrow field is better than being ordinary in everything, Joseph “JD” D’Aguanno leads Arizona’s best personal injury law firm in Phoenix, AZ. Having extensive cross-training in pre-litigation negotiations and trial lawyer skills, with decades of experience, JD strives to provide clients with the most valuable legal services a personal injury lawyer can provide. Under his direction, Gage Mathers Law Group is an award-winning personal injury law firm providing aggressive representation to victims of a car accident, medical malpractice, dog bite, motorcycle accident, and other injurious events. Gage Mathers is trusted by thousands of lawyers and clients throughout the country because of their reputation for getting clients the maximum compensation they deserve.

Years of experience: Over 24 years
Bar number: 020421
Location: Phoenix, AZ
JD’s Profile

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