Evidence-Based. Clearly Delivered.
Evidence-Based. Clearly Delivered.
The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) has released its final mortality data for 2024, offering a detailed retrospective view of the nation’s post-pandemic public health landscape. The report, released January 29, 2026, outlines a continued stabilization of death rates following the volatile pandemic years. While there is still plenty of room for improvement, there are positive headline data: life expectancy has risen, overall mortality has decreased, and for the first time in several years, COVID-19 is no longer a leading cause of death in the United States.
According to the report, U.S. life expectancy at birth climbed to 79.0 years in 2024, an increase of 0.6 years from 2023. This upward trajectory was observed across genders, with males gaining 0.7 years (to 76.5) and females gaining 0.3 years (to 81.4). Consequently, the longevity gap between the sexes narrowed slightly to 4.9 years.
The age-adjusted death rate for the total population saw a statistically significant decrease of 3.8%, dropping from 750.5 deaths per 100,000 standard population in 2023 to 722.1 in 2024. Notably, this improvement was widespread; age-adjusted death rates decreased for all reported race and Hispanic-origin groups for both males and females.
Perhaps one of the most notable shifts in the 2024 data is the departure of COVID-19 from the list of the top 10 leading causes of death. After claiming the 10th spot in 2023, the virus dropped to the 15th leading cause in 2024, with the number of underlying deaths decreasing by 37.1%.
With COVID-19’s decline, suicide has re-entered the list as the 10th leading cause of death. However, this finding should be interpreted with nuance: while its ranking rose, the actual age-adjusted rate for suicide decreased by 2.8% (from 14.1 to 13.7 per 100,000).
Death rates decreased for all the top 10 leading causes. The top three causes remained consistent:
Specifically, the rate for unintentional injuries saw a substantial drop of 14.4%. While heart disease and cancer remain the primary drivers of mortality, their respective rates declined by 2.8% and 1.7%. Together, the top 10 causes accounted for nearly 71% of all deaths.
The report notes that age-specific death rates decreased for all groups ≥1 year of age, with the sole exception of the 5 to 14 age group, which saw no significant change.
Infant mortality remained statistically unchanged at 552.5 infant deaths per 100,000 live births. However, within the specific causes of infant death, there was a positive development: the mortality rate for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) decreased by 7.5%.
The 2024 NCHS data suggests a return to pre-pandemic mortality patterns, characterized by improving life expectancy and a reduction in communicable disease mortality. However, the persistence of heart disease and cancer as dominant killers reinforces the need for continued focus on chronic disease management and preventative care.
CDC: Mortality in the United States, 2024
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