U.S. Death Rate Hits Record Low in 2025

The U.S. experienced its lowest death rate on record in 2025, with decreases in mortality across various age groups. Despite heart disease and cancer maintaining their positions as the top causes of death, the overall risk of dying in the U.S. has diminished. This is according to provisional data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The age-adjusted death rate dropped by 4.6 percent from the previous year, reaching 689.2 deaths per 100,000 people. This marks the lowest rate since federal records began over a century ago. Although the total number of deaths increased slightly to 3.09 million, this rise is attributed to both population growth and aging, rather than an elevated risk of death.

Contributors to the Decline

Farida Ahmad, a CDC health scientist, highlighted a significant decline in fatal drug overdoses as a primary factor for the improved death rate. In 2025, about 70,000 individuals died from drug overdoses, continuing a downward trend from previous years. This number is notably lower than the highs of over 100,000 seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The success is likely a result of various public health initiatives, including expanded availability of naloxone (Narcan), better access to treatment for substance use disorders, and shifts in the illicit drug market. Additionally, overdose fatalities decreased across several drug categories, with deaths from synthetic opioids like fentanyl dropping from 48,900 in 2024 to 38,100 in 2025.

COVID-19 deaths have also declined as the virus becomes less deadly compared to its peak during the pandemic. This change has reduced its impact on national mortality rates as COVID-19 is no longer a leading cause of death.

Detailed Analysis

The decline in mortality has been observed across all age groups and genders between 2024 and 2025. Men still face higher mortality rates at 811.1 deaths per 100,000 compared to 582.9 for women.

There are also differences among racial and ethnic groups. Black Americans experienced the highest age-adjusted death rate at 869.0 per 100,000, while the multiracial non-Hispanic population had the lowest at 187.3 per 100,000. Although death rates have fallen for several racial and ethnic groups since 2024, rates increased for American Indian and Alaska Native people and Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islanders, while remaining largely unchanged for Asian Americans.

Heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death, responsible for 694,708 deaths in 2025. Cancer followed with 622,832 deaths. Unintentional injuries, including drug overdoses, accounted for 184,265 deaths. Influenza and pneumonia climbed to the eighth leading cause of death, displacing suicide, which fell to eleventh.