The U.S. death rate fell to its lowest level ever recorded in 2025, per new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Despite heart disease and cancer remaining the top causes of death, the age-adjusted death rate reduced by 4.6 percent to 689.2 deaths per 100,000 people, marking a historic low in over a century.
While the total number of deaths slightly increased to 3.09 million due to population growth and aging, the risk of dying declined from previous years. Farida Ahmad, a CDC health scientist and co-author of the report, highlighted significant decreases in drug overdose deaths and fewer COVID-19 fatalities as major contributors to this decline.
Key Factors Behind the Decline
The report does not specify a single cause for the decline. However, Ahmad emphasized the role of reduced overdose deaths. Preliminary CDC data indicates approximately 70,000 drug overdose deaths in 2025, a continued drop from the unprecedented highs of over 100,000 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This improvement suggests effective public health measures and changes in the illicit drug market as influential. The CDC has previously pointed to wider naloxone distribution, improved treatment access for substance use disorders, ongoing investment in prevention programs, and shifts in the illegal drug supply.
In 2025, overdose deaths decreased across several drug types. Deaths from synthetic opioids like fentanyl decreased from about 48,900 in 2024 to 38,100 in 2025. Methamphetamine and cocaine-related fatalities also declined.
Ahmad also pointed out the reduction in COVID-19 related deaths, as the virus has become less lethal, no longer ranking among the top causes of death in the U.S., thereby lessening its impact on overall mortality rates.
A Closer Look at the Data
The CDC’s provisional report reveals a widespread decrease in mortality, with a drop in age-adjusted death rates across all age groups for both men and women between 2024 and 2025. Men still had a higher death rate at 811.1 per 100,000 compared to 582.9 for women.
The report indicated racial and ethnic disparities. Black Americans recorded the highest age-adjusted death rate in 2025, at 869.0 per 100,000. The lowest rate was among the multiracial non-Hispanic population at 187.3 per 100,000. Death rates fell across several racial and ethnic groups from 2024, with an increase for American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islander populations, while remaining steady for Asian Americans.
Despite the overall decline, heart disease was still the leading cause of death in the U.S., with 694,708 deaths in 2025. Cancer followed with 622,832 deaths, and unintentional injuries, including drug overdoses, accounted for 184,265 deaths. Influenza and pneumonia rose from the 11th leading cause in 2024 to eighth in 2025. Suicide dropped from 10th to 11th.