US death rate dropped 6% in 2023, with Covid-19 falling to 10th leading cause of death, CDC says

A significant decrease in Covid-19 deaths contributed to a 6% reduction in the overall death rate in the United States in 2023, according to data released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There were approximately 3.1 million deaths in the US last year, resulting in an age-adjusted rate of 750 deaths per 100,000 people. In comparison, the rate was 799 deaths per 100,000 people in 2022. The provisional data suggests that while the death rate has declined since the peak of the pandemic in 2021, it still remains higher than pre-pandemic levels. Heart disease, cancer, and unintentional injury continued to be the leading causes of death, accounting for about half of all deaths in 2023. The Covid-19 death toll dropped significantly, moving from the fourth leading cause of death to the tenth. Stroke replaced it as the fourth leading cause, followed by chronic lower respiratory diseases, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, kidney disease, and liver disease. Overall death rates decreased across all age groups, with a smaller decline observed among children under five. Although death rates decreased for all racial and ethnic groups, Black individuals had the highest rate of death. Men had higher death rates compared to women, but the gap narrowed slightly in 2023. The provisional data plays a crucial role in understanding mortality trends and guiding public health interventions. However, it is subject to change as final data is still being compiled.