By Ireland Owens
The death rate in the U.S. declined to a new record low in 2025, according to new provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) out Thursday.
The CDC reported that 3,094,593 total deaths occurred in the U.S. in 2025. The nation’s overall death rate was 689.2 per 100,000 people, a 4.6% decrease from 2024 and also marking the lowest death rate ever recorded in the U.S., according to the CDC. (RELATED: Americans’ Trust In Federal Health Agencies Has Plunged Since 2025, New Poll Shows)
The death rate dropped across all age groups, per the CDC’s data. Moreover, the age-adjusted U.S. death rate per 100,000 people was 811.1 for males and 582.9 for females.
Overall, age-adjusted death rates in the U.S. were lowest among the multiracial non-Hispanic population in 2025 at 187.3 per 100,000 people, and highest among the black non-Hispanic population at 869.0 per 100,000 people, according to the CDC’s estimates.
The CDC’s report also notes that the top causes of death nationwide in 2025 were heart disease, cancer and “unintentional” injuries.
ATLANTA, GA – OCTOBER 13: Exterior of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) headquarters is seen on October 13, 2014 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jessica McGowan/Getty Images)
“In 2025, death rates per 100,000 were lowest for children ages 5–14 years (14.0) and highest for people age 85 and older (12,787.5), similar to patterns in 2024,” according to the report.
The fall in total deaths last year was largely driven by a steady drop in drug overdoses, NewsNation reported.
The nation’s general fertility rate was 53.1 births per 1,000 females ages 15–44 in 2025, marking a 1% decline from 2024, according to CDC data released in April.
