What are the leading causes of death in the US?
The 10 biggest causes of death in America, how many people each one takes, and which ones a routine test can flag years ahead.
Heart disease and cancer. Together they caused 2 in 5 US deaths in 2025 (42.6%). The top 10 causes made up 71.0% of the 3.09 million deaths that year. About 1 in 3 deaths came from heart disease, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease, four causes with risks a routine checkup can spot. These 2025 numbers are early (provisional) CDC data.
- Heart disease is still number one. It caused 694,708 deaths in 2025, just ahead of cancer.
- A few causes do most of the damage. The top 10 account for 7 in 10 deaths.
- Much of it shows up early. About 1 in 3 deaths came from four causes (heart disease, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease) that a blood pressure check and a routine blood test can flag.
- Flu and pneumonia moved up. They rose from 11th in 2024 to 8th in 2025. Suicide moved from 10th to 11th.
- The death rate hit a record low. After adjusting for age, it fell 4.6% to 689.2 per 100,000, the lowest the US has ever recorded.
| # | Cause | Deaths | Share | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heart disease | 694,708 | 22.4% | +11,217 |
| 2 | Cancer | 622,832 | 20.1% | +2,956 |
| 3 | Unintentional injuries | 184,265 | 6.0% | −13,184 |
| 4 | Stroke | 171,427 | 5.5% | +4,575 |
| 5 | Chronic lung disease (like COPD) | 148,408 | 4.8% | +2,765 |
| 6 | Alzheimer’s disease | 116,794 | 3.8% | +772 |
| 7 | Diabetes | 95,229 | 3.1% | +784 |
| 8 | Flu and pneumonia | 56,511 | 1.8% | +8,372 |
| 9 | Kidney disease | 55,378 | 1.8% | +297 |
| 10 | Chronic liver disease | 51,941 | 1.7% | −333 |
| · | All causes | 3,094,593 | 100% | +21,927 |
Source: CDC NCHS, Mortality in the United States: Provisional Data, 2025 (Vital Statistics Rapid Release No. 44, July 2026). 2024 counts from NCHS Data Brief No. 548. 2025 numbers are provisional and may change slightly in the final data.
longevityclinicshub.comPicture 100 deaths
Big totals are hard to feel. Here’s how 100 typical US deaths in 2025 break down, rounded to whole people.
Our math: each cause’s deaths divided by 3,094,593 total deaths, rounded. The top 10 round to 72 of 100 (71.0% unrounded).
longevityclinicshub.comPut another way: in 2025, someone in the US died of heart disease about every 45 seconds. Across all causes, about 8,500 people died each day.
Compare what’s included and what it costs.
Why heart disease and cancer lead
Both mostly build slowly, over decades. That’s why they top the list in a country where most people now live into their 70s and 80s.
About 3 in 4 US deaths (77.3%) happen at age 65 or older. The chart below shows how deaths pile up with age.
Source: NCHS Vital Statistics Rapid Release No. 44, Table (provisional). Infant deaths (19,270) are not shown. The 65 and older share is our math.
longevityclinicshub.comThink of your body like a house. Heart disease and stroke are mostly plumbing problems: pipes that slowly narrow or burst. A blood pressure check is like a pressure gauge on the pipes. It can’t fix anything by itself, but it tells you years ahead where the trouble is building.
Three things people often think
One number, three causes
Several causes on this list share the same root. High blood pressure is the clearest example.
So one quick test, a blood pressure check, speaks to three of the top 10. A routine blood test adds blood sugar and cholesterol, which cover diabetes (#7) and more of the heart risk. Read more in how many Americans have a health problem and don’t know it.
How this has changed since 1900
The list looks very different from a century ago. Back then, infections led, and many of the people dying were young children.
- Pneumonia
- Tuberculosis
- Diarrhea and enteritis
30.4% of all deaths were children under 5.
- Heart disease
- Cancer
- Unintentional injuries
About 3 in 4 deaths were people 65 or older.
Clean water, vaccines and antibiotics pushed infections down the list. What’s left at the top are mostly slow conditions, and those are the ones a routine checkup can watch.
Source: CDC MMWR, Achievements in Public Health, 1900 to 1999: Control of Infectious Diseases (1999). 2025 from NCHS Vital Statistics Rapid Release No. 44 (provisional).
When to get checked
Here’s what US screening guidelines say for adults without symptoms. Your doctor may suggest more, based on your history.
| Test | Speaks to | Who and how often |
|---|---|---|
| Blood pressure check | Heart disease, stroke, kidney disease | Every year from age 40, or if at higher risk. Every 3 to 5 years from 18 to 39 if your last reading was normal. (USPSTF, 2021) |
| Cholesterol test and heart risk check | Heart disease, stroke | Adults 40 to 75 with a risk factor: your doctor estimates your 10-year heart risk, and a statin is recommended if it’s 10% or higher. (USPSTF, 2022) |
| A1c or fasting glucose | Diabetes | Adults 35 to 70 with overweight or obesity. (USPSTF, 2021) |
| Colorectal cancer screening | Cancer | Adults 45 to 75. (USPSTF, 2021) |
| Mammogram | Cancer | Women 40 to 74, every 2 years. (USPSTF, 2024) |
| Cervical cancer screening | Cancer | Women 21 to 65, every 3 or 5 years depending on the test. (USPSTF, 2018; an update is in progress) |
| Low-dose CT lung scan | Cancer | Yearly from 50 to 80 if you have a 20 pack-year smoking history and smoke now or quit in the last 15 years. (USPSTF, 2021) |
| Kidney blood and urine tests | Kidney disease | Ask your doctor, especially if you have diabetes or high blood pressure. |
Sources: US Preventive Services Task Force statements, with their years in the table. Kidney testing depends on your health, so it’s a conversation with your doctor. For flu, the CDC recommends a flu vaccine every season for everyone 6 months and older.
What you can do about it
Start with your regular doctor. A yearly checkup with a blood pressure check, routine blood work and the cancer screenings for your age covers most of what this page says can be caught early.
Longevity care can add to that, with a wider blood panel, closer tracking of heart and metabolic numbers, and a plan to keep them moving the right way. If you’re curious, read biomarker testing vs. your annual physical or see clinics near you.
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LongevityClinicsHub. (2026, October). What are the leading causes of death in the US? https://longevityclinicshub.com/learn/leading-causes-of-death/ (Data: CDC NCHS.) Common questions
What is the number one cause of death in the US?
Heart disease. It caused 694,708 deaths in 2025, or 22.4% of all US deaths, according to provisional CDC data.
What are the top 3 causes of death?
Heart disease, cancer and unintentional injuries, in that order. Together they caused 48.5% of all deaths in 2025.
How many people died in the US in 2025?
About 3,094,593, based on provisional data. That’s 21,927 more deaths than in 2024, but death rates went down in every age group, and the age-adjusted rate fell 4.6% to a record low.
Are flu and pneumonia leading causes of death?
Yes. In 2025 they were the 8th leading cause, with 56,511 deaths, up from 11th in 2024. The CDC recommends a flu vaccine every season for everyone 6 months and older.
Why are the 2025 numbers called provisional?
They’re the CDC’s early count, based on 99.9% of 2025 death records. Final numbers usually come out about 11 months after the year ends, and can change slightly. Some causes, like unintentional injuries, are reported later, so their final count will likely be higher.
Which leading causes can a routine test catch early?
Heart disease, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease share risks that a blood pressure check and routine blood tests can flag. Screening can also find some cancers earlier, like colorectal, breast, cervical and (for some people who smoked) lung cancer. Your doctor can tell you which tests fit your age and history.
Where can I get help if I’m struggling?
In the US, call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is free, confidential and open 24/7.
Prepared by the LongevityClinicsHub editorial team. How we research and source these guides.
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Sources
- NCHS, Mortality in the United States: Provisional Data, 2025. Vital Statistics Rapid Release No. 44 (Jul 2026).
- NCHS, Mortality in the United States, 2024. Data Brief No. 548 (Jan 2026).
- CDC MMWR, Achievements in Public Health, 1900 to 1999: Control of Infectious Diseases (July 1999).
- CDC, Flu vaccines (updated Sep 1, 2026).
- CDC, Heart disease risk factors and Stroke risk factors.
- CDC, Chronic Kidney Disease in the United States.
- US Preventive Services Task Force: Hypertension in Adults (2021), Statin Use for the Primary Prevention of CVD in Adults (2022), Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes (2021), Colorectal Cancer (2021), Breast Cancer (2024), Cervical Cancer (2018), Lung Cancer (2021).
- 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
- Our math: each cause’s share of deaths, “2 in 5” (heart disease plus cancer, 42.6%), “about 1 in 3” (heart disease, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease, 32.9%), “every 45 seconds” and “about 8,500 a day” (2025 had 365 days), “3 in 4 at 65 or older” (77.3%), and the 100 squares. All from 3,094,593 provisional 2025 deaths.
This guide is independent editorial content, written to orient, not to diagnose. It is not medical advice, and it is no substitute for a conversation with a licensed physician who knows your history. Where we describe what clinics claim, the claim belongs to the clinic.
Educational reading, not medical advice. Talk to a clinician about your own health.