"• In 2020, a total of 3,383,729 resident deaths were registered in the United States, an increase of 528,891 deaths compared with 2019 (2,854,838). The 1-year increase in the number of deaths was a record high, primarily driven by the COVID-19 pandemic.
"• The crude death rate was 1,027.0 deaths per 100,000 population. The age-adjusted death rate, which accounts for the aging of the population, was 835.4 deaths per 100,000 U.S. standard population.
"• The age-adjusted death rate for the American Indian or Alaska Native non-Hispanic population (subsequently, American Indian or Alaska Native) (1,036.2) was 1.2 times greater than for the White non-Hispanic population (subsequently, White) (834.7).
"• The age-adjusted death rate for the Black non-Hispanic population (subsequently, Black) (1,119.0) was 1.3 times greater than for the White population (834.7).
"• The age-adjusted death rate for the White population (834.7) was 1.8 times greater than for the Asian non-Hispanic population (subsequently, Asian) (457.7) and 1.2 times greater than for the Hispanic population (723.6).
"• Life expectancy at birth was 77.0 years.
"• Life expectancy in 2020 for the Hispanic population was 0.5 year higher than for the White population.
"• The 15 leading causes of death in 2020 were:
"1. Diseases of heart (heart disease)
"2. Malignant neoplasms (cancer)
"3. COVID-19
"4. Accidents (unintentional injuries)
"5. Cerebrovascular diseases (stroke)
"6. Chronic lower respiratory diseases
"7. Alzheimer disease
"8. Diabetes mellitus (diabetes)
"9. Influenza and pneumonia
"10. Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis (kidney disease)
"11. Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis
"12. Intentional self-harm (suicide)
"13. Essential hypertension and hypertensive renal disease (hypertension)
"14. Parkinson disease
"15. Septicemia
"• In 2020, the infant mortality rate (IMR) was 5.42 infant deaths per 1,000 live births.
"• The 10 leading causes of infant death were:
"1. Congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities (congenital malformations)
"2. Disorders related to short gestation and low birth weight, not elsewhere classified (low birth weight)
"3. Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
"4. Accidents (unintentional injuries)
"5. Newborn affected by maternal complications of pregnancy (maternal complications)
"6. Newborn affected by complications of placenta, cord and membranes (cord and placental complications)
"7. Bacterial sepsis of newborn
"8. Respiratory distress of newborn
"9. Diseases of the circulatory system
"10. Neonatal hemorrhage"
Kochanek KD, Murphy SL, Xu JQ, Arias E. Deaths: Final data for 2020. National Vital Statistics Reports; vol 72 no 10. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2023. DOI: dx.doi.org/10.15620/cdc:131355.
