U.S. Leading Causes of Death Age-Adjusted Rates Since 1999

Age-adjusted death rates for the 10 leading causes of death in the United States beginning in 1999. Data are compiled from all resident death certificates filed in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Rates are calculated per 100,000 population based on the 2000 U.S. standard population.

Use Cases

• Analyze trends in age-adjusted death rates for the top 10 causes of death from 1999 onward.
• Compare mortality patterns across different causes of death using ICD-10 classification and underlying cause of death data.
• Study the impact of population estimate revisions on death rates for non-census years before 2010.

Strengths

• Data covers over two decades, starting from 1999.
• Based on information from all resident death certificates in 50 states and D.C., providing national coverage.
• Age-adjusted rates use the 2000 U.S. standard population for consistent comparisons over time.

Limitations

• The dataset is limited to the 10 leading causes of death, excluding less common causes.
• Death rates for non-census years before 2010 are revised estimates and may differ from previously published figures.
• Specific row counts, column details, and sample data are unavailable for assessing granularity.

Provenance

Source

CDC/NCHS, National Vital Statistics System, mortality data; and CDC WONDER.

Collection Method

Based on information from all resident death certificates filed in the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Time Range

Beginning in 1999.

Freshness

Dataset metadata was last updated in April 2025.

Geography

United States (50 states and the District of Columbia).