The death rate in the United States hit its lowest level ever recorded in 2025. This was due to widespread declines in mortality across all age groups, even as heart disease and cancer persist as leading causes of death. New provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates a 4.6 percent drop in the age-adjusted death rate from the prior year. This brought the rate down to 689.2 deaths per 100,000 people, marking the most favorable figure since federal reports began over a hundred years ago.
The total number of deaths rose slightly to 3.09 million as the population grew and aged. Despite this, Americans faced a lower risk of dying compared to previous years. Farida Ahmad, a CDC health scientist and co-author of the report, noted the primary driver of this record-low death rate was the ongoing reduction in fatal drug overdoses. A decrease in COVID-19 fatalities also played a role.
Factors Contributing to the Decline
Although the mortality report did not specify a single cause for the low death rate, Ahmad highlighted the drop in overdose deaths as a notable contributor. Preliminary CDC data suggests around 70,000 overdose deaths occurred in 2025, continuing a downward trend from recent years. During the COVID-19 pandemic, overdose deaths had soared to over 100,000.
This reduction may reflect successful public health initiatives and changes in the illicit drug market. The CDC has previously pointed out the expanded distribution of naloxone, known commercially as Narcan, improved access to substance use disorder treatments, continued investment in prevention programs, and shifts in illegal drug supplies. Overdose fatalities decreased in various major drug categories in 2025. For instance, deaths involving synthetic opioids like fentanyl fell from about 48,900 in 2024 to 38,100 in 2025. Fatalities connected to methamphetamine and cocaine also declined.
Ahmad also pointed to the drop in COVID-19 deaths. As the virus became less severe than during the pandemic peak, it fell out of the top causes of death, diminishing its effect on overall mortality rates.
Analyzing the Data
The CDC’s provisional data revealed a broadly-based decline in mortality. Age-adjusted death rates decreased across all age groups, as well as for both genders between 2024 and 2025. Men continued to experience higher mortality rates, with 811.1 deaths per 100,000 people compared to 582.9 for women.
Differences emerged among racial and ethnic groups. Black Americans faced the highest age-adjusted death rate in 2025, registering at 869.0 deaths per 100,000 people. The lowest rate occurred among the multiracial non-Hispanic population, with 187.3 per 100,000. Although mortality rates dropped for several racial and ethnic groups versus 2024, rates increased for American Indian and Alaska Native people and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander individuals. Rates remained mostly unchanged for Asian Americans.
Despite general improvements, heart disease topped the list of fatal causes, contributing to 694,708 deaths in 2025. Cancer followed with 622,832 deaths, and unintentional injuries, including overdoses, accounted for 184,265 deaths. Influenza and pneumonia rose from the 11th leading cause of death in 2024 to the eighth in 2025, while suicide moved from 10th to 11th place.
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